


Redeemer

by phoenixjustice



Category: Death Note
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 06:52:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 42,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixjustice/pseuds/phoenixjustice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>set after the anime/manga, THEN during the middle of the anime/manga when L's name is learned. </p><p>Light has been given another chance at life, but it remains to see whether or not he will do anything with it. Continue being Kira or…can L change all that?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Redeemer

He awoke to death. It didn't look as bad as he thought. In fact it looked like…He sits up with a gasp, looking around and clutching his chest, his shirt crumpled up from where he had been clutching it so tightly.

The last thing he remembered was the light fading from his eyes as he slipped into the nothingness. This was not Heaven, nor was it Hell, but it was not the Void either. It was…

L's hotel room.

He felt more than confused, not just at what his eyes were telling him he was seeing, but also the fact that his heart was still beating, or had started beating again and somehow, someway he was here and…and…He just wasn't sure.

He rubs his hands over his face and tries to adjust his mind to this new situation which was threatening to shut down his psyche completely. The place was eerily quiet as he starts to stand shakily on his feet. He was in the living room and it was utterly deserted.

Well, of course it was; L was dead...Something strange catches in his throat and he shakes his head at the added feeling on top of his confusion. Yes, L was dead. Five strangely empty years had passed, though his mind never let him onto this fact until he was dying and the light faded away.

So what was happening now? Was this some sort of post-death torment until he reached the Void? Or maybe this _was_ the Void and all he would ever be in, and have, was the emptiness of Eru Lawliet's hotel room.

Even his clothes were the same kind as he would wear five years ago, his hair just starting to grow shaggy, when he had been around L, determined to prove his innocence to the man when all along he was Kira and had been setting a path of righteous justice onto those who deserved to die, no longer able to be redeemed.

A sudden squeak of a door opening causes him to whip his head around so fast that it could have seriously hurt, but his attention had been taken so utterly that he could have been bleeding and he would not have noticed.

L…

Ryuuzaki…

L!!

Lawliet!

The five year dead detective stood in the doorway, slouched as he always was, hands curled at his sides. From one hand held a familiar handcuff that was over six feet long and was shackled to the man's right wrist, with the end of it dangling on the ground next to him.

Light could feel his eyes widen in his head, his heartbeat start to accelerate and his breath catches in his throat, a breath he shouldn't even be able to be having in this moment.

L looks at him with his usual face of wide eyes and unreadable expression. He puts his hand up to his mouth, biting on his thumb.

"Perhaps Light-kun would like to explain how I woke up to find him out of bed and out of the handcuff?"

Light was unable to respond; he falls to his knees, his eyes staring unseeing at the carpeted floor, hearing but not hearing L's padded footsteps, his bare feet the first thing that Light saw. He manages to pull his head up, a strangled sound coming out of his throat.

He vaguely wondered what his expression looked like, for L to be looking at him that way, a unusual amount of feeling into his eyes, what looked to be…concern? If this was some kind of final joke after death before he had to face the overwhelming Void, being nothingness…then he would find a way to make it end, even from the grave.

"Light-kun?" L kneels down in his usual position; looking at Light with such an obvious look of concern in his eyes that it actually helps to bring Light out of the stupor he was in. "You don't look well."

Light shakes his head wordlessly. Trying to find what he wanted to say. What _could_ he say? "I…"

L raises his shackled hand to touch Light's forehead, the man's hand surprisingly warm against his skin, which felt ice cold, causing Light to gasp softly.

"Perhaps Light-kun is getting sick?" murmured L, his gaze cast downward, looking thoughtful now. "You need to get up; there is a sixty-seven percent chance of you catching a cold on the floor if your immune system has weakened. Here—" He stands up and with a surprising amount of strength for his thin body, pulls Light to his feet and looks at him, his brows furrowed in concern at Light's continued silence, seemingly more bothered by that fact, than the possibility that it might be a Kira related thing (which it wasn't).

"Light-kun?"

"Are you my redeemer?" blurted out Light.

\-------------------------------------------------

 


	2. Second Chances?

He hadn't meant to blurt that out; of course, he hadn't been in control over his own actions since he had awoken to find himself not dead, not in Heaven nor in Hell, but not in the Void either. Instead he was alive; he could hear his heart racing and was back in L's hotel room, with L himself, L whom had been dead for over five years now.

L was looking at him with an indescribable emotion in his overshadowed eyes.

"Light-kun? What are you trying to say? I don't…understand you…"

Did he think it was some sort of Kira related plot? Or trying to cover up the fact that he was Kira by saying that he believed in L and his own brand of justice to help bring Kira down, that he was asking to be redeemed by him? That wasn't it! He hadn't meant to say that…but…Things were moving too fast and his head was hurting and all he could see was L.

He had come through Death and instead of going to the Void which had frightened him more than anything else (You will not go to Heaven or Hell, you will go to Nothingness, you will _be_ nothing. That is your fate), he had somehow been given a second chance, even if only by accident.

An accidental second chance at life was better than none at all, of course.

Wait…

…Second chance?

That would indicate that what he had done before was wrong. All wrong…but…no. He had been Kira; he had been the only Justice inside a world which was falling apart at the seams, a rip which no one seemed able to, or wanted to, fix. Someone had to do it and he had taken up the enormous task on his young shoulders. The world was in dire need and he had been there to aid it. He had…

Or maybe he was being punished? Would he have to be forced to relive everything over after this moment? Over and over again? Maybe this was what the Void was; of a similar sort to Hell (which he did not truly believe in, at least he didn't _want_ to believe in it; the fear of going to an eternal torment that he did not deserve). Or maybe he _had_ been sent to Hell and this was just the beginning of his torments…

For L to be here again, for L to talk to him, for L to look at him just so…

If this were truly real; not Heaven, not Hell, not the Void, but…real, then what would he, could he, do? Would he…continue on the path of Kira, but making certain changes so his fate wouldn't be the same? Or…

Or...

…Or?

There was an or?

His head hurt and looking at L made it hurt even worse, trying to console the fact that this man was alive, but he wasn't, or at least he hadn't been and now he was…and…

…Oh. L was still waiting for an answer.

"I…" Light starts to say, shaking his head slightly. "I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki. I don't know what I just said; I don't think I'm feeling very well." That certainly wasn't a lie; he didn't feel well at all, though for different reasons.

L nods slightly, looking thoughtful for a moment before grabbing onto Light's hand and walking off at a surprisingly fast pace, forcing the younger man to follow him, rather bewilderedly. The detective stops in front of his bedroom door and opens it up, dragging Light inside and Light made no attempt to fight him, though the man's touch seemed to feel awfully hot against his skin.

Being inside L's bedroom was nothing new; he had had to stay in here when he was handcuffed to the man, so determined to prove his innocence to him. He walks forward, patiently following L as the man walked to the side of the bed and finally comes to a stop.

He looks at Light for a moment, before pushing him with a hand onto the bed, making Light let out a gasp of surprise. He starts to sit up, but L pushes him down firmly and at the look in the older man's eyes, he stops fighting and allows L to pull the blanket, which had been all bundled up on one corner of the bed, over him.

"Go to sleep, Light-kun. It is late and you could use the rest, especially if you are feeling as unwell as you look," said L. "There is a thirty percent chance that staying up longer will result in worse health in the morning. So go to sleep."

Light starts to say something, but stops and nods slightly instead. L nods as well and starts to walk back out of the room and Light finds himself speaking without thought once more;

"Thank you, Ryuuzaki." whispered Light.

There was a hesitation for a moment, then the door closes behind him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_'Are you my redeemer?'_

'Thank you, Ryuuzaki.'

His footsteps hesitate and he stands there, taking it all in, before closing the door with a slam behind him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He could feel his eyelids get heavy and that sleep was coming very soon, so he tries to fight it; what if he awoke to something different again? Or what if he woke up to the Nothingness? If he awoke to eternal torment, perhaps waking up to the same scene that happened earlier, forced to relive it over and over again.

He fights sleep with everything he has, but it has grown powerful and it does not listen to his silent pleas to keep awake; instead it pulls him under its deep embrace, leaving him afraid of what he might find, or wouldn't find, as his eyes opened again.

 _If_ they ever opened up again…

\-----------------------------------------

 


	3. Cake and Handcuffs

His eyes open and he blinks up at the ceiling in confusion for a few moments, before remembering what happened the night before. He rolls over and feels the last vestiges of sleep leave him as his mind starts up fully, awakening the genius. Everything was as it had been the night before, telling him that all the things that he had seen and heard the night before, as well as L himself, was undoubtedly real.

He felt confusion warring with other emotions in his mind. What sort of power, being, thing could do this? He had been dead, he knew this; he had felt himself dying, had felt the light slip away into the darkness.

He sits up and moves out of bed, stretching slightly and straightening his clothes with an effort. Even if he wasn't feeling one hundred percent because of extenuating circumstances he still wanted to try and present a good image. It was what he did and was good at, after all. Though perhaps he had presented _too_ good an image before, as to make suspicion...

He gets to the door and opens it to find a blinking L with chocolate cake on a saucer in his hands, staring at Light; he still had half of the handcuff on, for whatever reason. Perhaps he still had in mind the idea to be shackled up (again?). It had been so long ago! Well…not now, obviously, but before this it had been over five years.

Light's own thoughts of Kira and what would be done was still hazy and he was actually putting it in the back of his mind so he could actually think straight and let himself try and figure things out.

The key word was 'try', of course.

His thoughts get interrupted when L shoves the cake in his face. He moves his head back and blinks rapidly for a moment, before taking the offering in front of him.

"Cake for you, Light-kun." said L, abruptly walking, slouching as usual, the way he came, leaving Light to hurry and follow him. He tilts his head to the side slightly to look at the younger teen. "It will help keep up your strength as well as increasing your mental capacities by a margin of 20 to 25. With all of the chocolate involved in its creation, I should think that it would be in the latter portions of the percentages rather than the previous…"

Light felt amusement rather than what would once be annoyance at hearing more of L's percentages and facts. And the cake _did_ look rather good; though he never really cared to eat sweets of any kind before. One of the few things that he and 'Ryuuzaki' were not similar in.

He picks up the fork on the saucer and attempts to take a bite while he and L continue their trek into the living room, careful not to drop any crumbs. While L himself wore nothing but his baggy white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, not even wearing shoes!, he apparently liked his little luxuries and was not generally a messy person, but he sometimes would move computers around themselves in a weird pattern that normal people might just think as random chaos when it wasn't, though this would be a little hard to define to the other detectives, Light suspected, because L worked on a wavelength all on his own that Light was pretty sure that no one else had ever even come close to figuring out. (Except perhaps, Watari.)

All the detectives look up at him and he realizes with a start that his father was still alive, quite alive, as he was staring right at him. And Watari enters the room, so he was alive too. This only confirmed Light's earlier suspicions of the exact date that he had somehow mysteriously gotten back to, but for what price?

And whose?

Chief Yagami's brows raise a bit as Light finishes his cake and before he could even set it down, Watari whisks it away, handing L a chocolate bunny seemingly out of nowhere as he does so. L shuffles over to his usual chair and crouches in it as was familiar to Light.

It all seemed so utterly surreal, (and he had actually eaten cake!), to him that the uncertainty was filing back inside his organized mind and he did not like that fact at all. He takes a seat on the sofa adjacent to L, ignoring the almost snicker in the back of his mind and blinks as L extends his handcuffed arm out to him.

"It would be best if you would now if you got handcuffed to me again, Light-kun." said L in his monotonic voice, wide eyes looking unblinkingly at Light who stared at him. "It is still a conundrum to me on how you managed to get out of them in the first place and now I have made them 45 more efficient, as not to have that situation happen again. And you volunteered for this; you said that you wanted to prove your innocence as Kira. Is that statement still true?"

Is that statement still true?

L, you sly bastard, Light thought with something someone might construe as an almost kind of fondness. Either way you win in this; if I say no, then you can say that I am Kira because I don't want to continue an investigation which is working to stop me. Even if I say yes, you still win; you get me in handcuffs and close at all times, able to watch me like a hawk and wait for me to trip up. But, I…I have a second chance now, don't I? Don't I deserve to use it? I'm not entirely sure what that means for Kira…perhaps becoming closer by necessity will give me my answer…

He extends his hand out, perfectly silent and gazing into L's dark eyes. L blinks rapidly for a moment and Light, having learned many of L's mannerisms in the time that they had been stuck together, in handcuffs and then in the hotel room itself, understands that this is the way that L sometimes shows surprise.

Apparently not expecting Light to agree so readily, or so silently.

He smirks to himself, coming to a realization of his own;

If L was expecting anything like before…then he was sadly mistaken.

Light almost thought he heard laughter at this and the chain of the handcuff echoes as he goes across his wrist.

Become the prisoner so you can find the ultimate freedom…we shall see.

We will see.

\------------------------------------

 


	4. Signification

They were now linked together once more. The final click as the handcuffs go together, signify a big moment, Light knew. He was uncertain as to what would be happening in the future, what he could possibly do, be, or what L would do, say…But he knew that he was willing to take whatever came his way, head on.

Since they were now linked together again, L had them go back immediately onto the Kira investigation, not wanting to lose anymore time than had already been lost. (The detective was probably already lamenting the loss of the time he had not been looking for Kira.)

They were learning everything they could about the members of the Yotsuba group. There were eight members that Matsuda had spied upon and had clearly heard them talking about killing, and from what seemed to be said, it was looking as if there was a third Kira and one of the eight men was it.

These were things that Light already knew, had already gone through. But he couldn't just up and blurt out; 'Oh, Higuchi is the man you are looking for, so let's go get him!' He knew that his percentage for being Kira would sky-rocket and boil over. He had to figure out just how to get rid of Higuchi. He had to. Or things would start tumbling down on his second chance at life again; he wasn't sure the how and why he was where he was, but the point was that he was alive.

In the very least, he had to find a way to take the third Kira down, whether that involved killing or not. He had to get that Death Note away from the man; it had once been Misa's and entrusted into his custody for a time.

He sighs and closes his eyes, rubbing at his temples, hearing the distant clink of the chain of the handcuff that linked him and L Lawliet together. He rests his elbows on the desk in front of him and sighs. All this double and triple thinking, being Kira, proving he WASN'T Kira, helping to catch the second and third Kira's as well as the fact that he had been brought back from the darkness of death, was getting to him. How had he managed for so long? Light felt weary; his soul as heavy as it ever felt. He also wondered why he hadn't seen Ryuk in sometime.

He jumps when he feels a hand on his shoulder, eyes popping open to see Lawliet looming over him, wide eyes staring at him unblinkingly.

"Light-kun doesn't look so well," stated L.

Light runs a hand through his hair briefly before shaking his head slightly.

"It's just all of this...dealing with one Kira was bad enough, but now there's a second and a third as well. I can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep." admitted Light.

L's eyes move up and he puts a finger against his bottom lip as he contemplates.

"…But I can't let stuff like that get to me, not when there is Kira out there and with two other Kira's as well," said Light. He sits up straighter in his chair, seeing that L was now looking straight at him (which made a spark go up his spine at the bold look that he wasn't sure what to make of) and points to the computer monitor in front of him, eight faces of the most suspicious of those in the Yotsuba group.

"Well, we pretty much can say for sure that one of these eight men is the Third Kira," said Light, pointing his finger onto the picture and information of Suguru Shimura; 36 and single, raised by a single mother. "Like this one; being raised by a single parent isn't unheard of over here, but it is unusual and looked down upon, according to the situation, so he could possibly be bitter over that and no father figure in his life. Or maybe his own father was a major bigwig like the men that are getting dropped off like flies; his own form of retaliation against a father."

"Hmm, that is not that bad of an assumption, Light-kun," mused L, biting his thumb. "It is something which might need to be looked into; I have caught murderers who have had the same problem childhood's," He glances at Light briefly. "Though not all killers have bad backgrounds or childhoods."

That was a reference to him being Kira, he knew. He was still on L's radar when it came to being Kira, after all. He had to find a better way to relieve suspicion on him being Kira then he did previously, and now he had an advantage; knowing about people and other things ahead of time would definitely make a difference in…whatever he was going to do.

"Any others that stand out to you, Light-kun?" asked L, suddenly.

Light points to another man; Kyosuke Higuchi, the man he knew to be the Third Kira. He hadn't pointed Higuchi out first because he didn't want to raise anymore suspicions than possible, because it was fully possible that L would latch onto the first person Light spoke about, expecting Kira to point to the person whom he knew to be the Third Kira.

By putting Higuchi in the middle, for he was going to name another, left it more ambiguous. And he had a suspicion of his own that L might focus more on the first name Light would give, then the last. Perhaps he expected Light to save the Third Kira for last, putting on emphasis on the other two as much as possible as to remove a little suspicion on the real Third Kira.

L was extremely brilliant; Light's one and only equal in all things, and if he really wanted to think about it, Lawliet was his first true friend also, a rather ironic mockery, the closest of friends but also mortal enemies. But his last image when he had died had been of L, his companion, his enemy, his friend, and his first image of a person back here, was L. Rather fitting.

Lawliet was a genius, as Light was, but in this Light had to be the smarter one. He had been given a second chance.

He didn't think there would be a third.

"There is this one; Kyosuke Higuchi. His father is a bigwig in Yotsuba, but he himself could bring himself higher up on the ladder. It's possible that he has a grudge, probably having to prove himself more than others because his father is the President of a major division in Yotsuba. That can cause a lot of tension, when your father is a big part in something which you yourself work hard to be apart of, always feeling like you have to prove yourself twice as hard," He and L lock eyes and he knew that his own feelings had gotten in there a bit, and he knew L realized this. But perhaps that was what was needed to make some emphasis on Higuchi, but not too much, just enough to raise suspicion but not overly much.

"There are only two others in this group that have a father in some part of Yotsuba, and one of these also stands out to me," with a dramatic, but not overly so, pause, he points to the last person he was going to name; "Arayoshi Hatori. He's the illegitimate son of the CEO of the Yotsuba group and I think that he would have the most reason to get rid of all the major players around him. As the bastard offspring, he would have the hardest time of all to have to prove himself, and if he could eliminate all his competition, then his place as a major player would be assured." said Light, now adding a tone of uncertainty in his tone. "But, as I said, this is just my opinions. But if this will help stop the Third Kira, stop all the Kira's, then I think that it couldn't hurt anything."

It was quiet for a moment as L looks down in his chair, fiddling with his toes in that peculiar manner of his for a few moments. Finally, L looks up at him and there is a flash of some unnamed emotion that moves through Lawliet's wide eyes, making Light's breath catch for reasons he wasn't sure of, good or bad.

"Light-kun makes a compelling argument," said L, biting on his thumb as he watches Light closely, the clanking of the chain between them reminding Light that he had promised to be shackled to 'Ryuuzaki' again, not entirely knowing if he made a good decision or not (though he probably would have had to get shackled up again anyhow; so doing it on his own without incident was a good thing.)

"All are being looked into, but you do, as I said, make a compelling argument and you have a very good knowledge about these sorts of things," Was that another Kira remark? He wasn't sure. "We can go over these three more thoroughly once data comes back on all eight. There is still inconclusive evidence; and though Light-kun has his suspicions on three of the members, it still stands that there are eight members, all of which have the means and the desire to do something such as this. Greed is an infection that rots through peoples brains, thinking that what they do are the right things, for the right reasons, or for other people. It is a sickness."

Light tried not to frown. He supposed that some of those barbs were directed at him (though for good reason, as he was…still? Kira) and made himself stay calm and not rise to the bait which Lawliet seemed to be setting out to him, for whatever reason, even if it was just to catch Light off-guard and determine his Kira percentage from that.

"You are absolutely right," said Light. "It really does mess with people and makes a lot of them take the wrong actions. But what Kira, or the Second, or Third, is doing, is wrong. Taking the rights from people, even if he or she thinks it is doing them a service and only right, is wrong. It takes away people's free will, whether they believe it or not. It's just like certain religious groups of people trying to force their beliefs on someone, determined that they are right. Well, many people seem to think that their right and nothing seems to change. Maybe we're better off without any of that in the world and people could make choices on their own, without having the shadow of doubt and uncertainty, afraid of offending their God or Gods. Make people see what they truly are."

L's mouth suddenly curls up in a smile and Light felt his stomach flutter.

"Light-kun, the atheist; not something I expected to see, I admit," said L, that little enigmatic smile still on his lips. "I expected Light-kun to have his own morals and values to be sure, but this is unexpected. I believed that…the Kira's, whether or not it is just one, or all of them, are frustrated at the world, as we have seen, and have felt abandoned by mainstream society, or religion, whichever and feels the need to take the place of the misplaced god."

Light moves his gaze up to L's.

"And what about you, Ryuuzaki?" He asks, careful not to say the 'Lawliet' that was waiting on his lips. "What is your belief system? I don't believe that you believe in any religion. But I know you believe in something; tell me."

"I believe in Justice, Light-kun, as I know you do." said L. "And…"

His smile widens just so.

"I also believe in redemption."

\----------------------------------------

 


	5. The Result of a Contemplative Mind

There had been at least ten more killings attributed to the Third Kira in the last two days, seven of which were from a company that was a direct rival of the Yotsuba group. That, along with other clues and from what Matsuda had heard it was almost 100 percent positive that one of the eight that Matsuda had heard speaking, was the Third Kira.

The only question now was which one it was.

He bites on his thumb, looking at the computer screen of the pictures of the eight men, one of which was the Third Kira. This Kira was an adult, doing things for his own selfish reasons and desires. That is where he differed from Kira and the Second Kira. He crouches down a bit farther in his chair, one hand on his leg, and biting his thumb on the other. He knew that Light-kun was Kira; he just didn't have the evidence against him.

Kira was a young person who was just old enough to be shed of most of his innocence, but not all; he was still young enough to have some innocence left and want to do something about the world, not for himself. Adults are notoriously selfish creatures, with selfish desires and ultimately greedy. Kira was barely more than a child and was ready to call himself God.

Lawliet and Light, L and Kira; two different sides of the coin, but both ultimately believing in Justice. Different in this, but similar in so many other ways. His first true equal; B had been his shadow, always trying to outdo him, but did not have the skills, the intellect, nor the sanity. Mello and Near were coming up nicely, from what he heard last from Wammy's House, but Mello was too emotional for what needed to be done and Near was much too cold.

People might call HIM cold, but he was not cold, not at all. He was merely...detached from most things. He had to be. He could not get overly emotional; it affected productivity by up to 47 percent.

All at Wammy's House were trying to get better so they could become the next 'L', but Lawliet wasn't ready to retire (or die) just yet and he had no intension to name a successor.

He removes his thumb from his mouth as he peers at the faces of the men on the screen, his ever moving brain pouring out many thoughts and equations even while he thought of other things. He had taught himself early on to be able to multitask in things as it increased productivity and much more could be done. He grabs a cookie from the plate in front of him and takes a large bite, the chocolate flavor enveloping his mouth and tasting so very sweet.

He glances over to the side, the handcuff clinking slightly as he sees Light looking over a report.

It was quite ironic that if L had to name a successor that Light Yagami would probably be the best for the job. Kira might be young and immature, hating to lose (as Lawliet so hated to lose), but he was extremely intelligent and attractive as well; qualities that made people flock to him, including the Second Kira. (And perhaps the Third as well?)

He frowns minutely. '...attractive as well'. That thought had popped up into his head once more without his permission and he didn't like that; the fact that it had invaded his head at all, much less again, was quite annoying to him. He finishes the first cookie and starts on the second, starting to type on the computer.

Light Yagami was a conundrum; a puzzle that he had yet to work out and he had always been able to solve any puzzle with ease. Perhaps that was why he felt so drawn to the young man; everything else he had ever done and been apart of, had been too easy for him. He had never had a true challenge until a person the people named 'Kira' started to kill and gave L the greatest challenge of his life.

For the first time in his memory, he felt wholly alive; not just a machine known as L, not cold or detached, but _alive_. He felt filled with a passion that even he sometimes had no words for. He was feeling as much Lawliet right now as he was L.

And Lawliet hadn't been around for a long time indeed, for he had had no place in the world which just the machine 'L' must survive in.

And he, Lawliet, was feeling things that he would have once dismissed immediately; for they had no place where he must work. But this was different, _Light_ was different.

He was feeling for Light and that bothered him for a couple of reasons, one of which being that he suspected him of being Kira; L and Kira both sought out Justice, but in different ways. These new emotions might be coming up on him fast, but he had an ever working mind and could easily tell what he was feeling, even if it was strange and alien to him after being alone for so long.

The only variable in this new scenario was Light Yagami himself; what he was, _who_ he was (Kira or not), and how he felt. From the slightly erratic way he had been acting as of late, it led Lawliet to come to a few conclusions and from what he could gather, it seemed as if Light was feeling something as well. Just how much or how little, or if it was even the same caliber of his own feelings; perhaps greater?, was yet to be determined.

He might just have to do another test; this time to see just how much Light Yagami felt for him, if at all.

\-------------------------------------------------

After a couple more hours of work, as well as many plates of sweets and pondering on what to do about Light Yagami, L finally comes up with something that he decides to do.

He takes action when Light sets down the latest file he was reading and stretches slightly. L found his wide eyes following the movement, watching the muscles stretch underneath the long sleeved button-up black shirt that Light was wearing today, finding himself fascinated, unable to look away, even when Light notices him.

"What?" asked Light, with an almost annoyed tone in his voice, which could easily be real or put in there on purpose, hard to determine the exact percentage at this point.

The fact that he was looking could be explained away quite easily, as he had been watching Light for so long now, seeing what made him Kira and what didn't, the facts and the percentages of it all.

"Perhaps Light-kun would like to rest for awhile? We have been working quite a while and I am sure that even Light-kun can only take so much without a break, even if I don't need one." He says to the surprised boy-man.

Light's eyes widen, turning in his chair to look at L better and he blinks rapidly for a moment, looking quite befuddled. He was glad now that he had sent the detectives on errand work that would keep them away for a few hours, quite glad.

"Ryuuzaki offering to _rest_? What is this world coming to?" Light says with a bit of amusement in his tone, then he seems to not like his last statement. Perhaps he thought that the detective would see it as a Kira related statement?

He did and didn't; and right now there was something that he needed to find out just as much as he needed to know the identity of the three Kira's, if not more.

Light starts to look a bit uncomfortable at the silence and didn't seem to know where to put his eyes at, and they ended up gazing into his and stay there.

"Ryuuzaki…?"

L leans forward in his chair, crouched in the same position as always and moves his head closer to Light's, who was conveniently sitting next to him (though of course he had to sit close enough, as they were handcuffed together).

He could feel the heat from the teenager's body and it made him grow hotter as well, almost by default. He places his hands on either side of the arms on Light's chair and leans in even farther, hearing the hitch in the younger man's breath as he moves in closer, their lips just millimeters from meeting.

"Prove to me that you aren't Kira, Light-kun," he says huskily. "And maybe I will be able to redeem you after all…"

And he kisses him.

\------------------------------

 


	6. Passion and Anger

He nearly pulls back in surprise as a pair of lips move over his own. Lawliet was kissing him. Kissing him! If this was some sort of Kira test…he didn't want to think about it. Lawliet's lips were surprisingly warm, though a bit dry, not cold like his hands or the way he acted sometimes, cold and calculating, determined to catch Kira at any cost (even his own life, which Light had personally seen extinguished).

He couldn't help himself, really, once L pulls him closer, wrapping his cold but firm hands around the nape of his neck, kissing him deeper, insistently. Well, if Lawliet felt that strongly about wanting to kiss Light, then it would be alright for him to kiss back.

More than alright.

He returns the kiss with a small groan, which intensifies when the world's greatest detective thrusts his tongue deep into his mouth. Light returns the favor and is rewarded when he hears the near emotionless man moan in response. His body surges in response and his cock comes to life very quickly, his breath hitching when Lawliet moves from his lips, his mouth ghosting over the side of his face, leaning in closer and closer as he starts to inch his way up the side of Light's face.

"La...uhn, Ryu--Ryuuzaki..." moaned Light. He was starting to have a hard time thinking straight and had nearly spoken L's real name aloud. Lawliet stills and moves his face away from Light's, looking into his eyes with his own wide black ones. Something passes through those wide eyes.

"Ryuuzaki?" asked Light, quietly.

The said man's thin hands suddenly dart out and grab onto Light and pull him towards him. He didn't seem to calculate just how hard he had pulled and Light's eyes widen as wide as Lawliet's as they start to fall on the ground. Light lets out a gasp as he falls onto the hard floor, the chairs tipping over and scooted away.

Lawliet falls on top of him with a soft exclamation, sitting up; his hands and body within such close proximity wasn't helping Light's situation any. And it definitely didn't help that the first thing the detective decided to do, was lean down even closer, his warm breath moving over his face and all he could do was stare wide-eyed at the man situated above him.

"Light-kun," growled L. And he kisses him again; this time Light immediately opens his mouth and their mouths battle for dominance, for neither man was weaker than the other, they were equals in everything that they had ever been in or apart of; and neither man liked to lose.

For losing meant death.

Light knew this all too well; L Lawliet had lost and had died, and Light had lost and had died. He had gotten L and in the end, L had gotten him. They seemed to be connected much more closely than he once thought; he had died on the date that L had been born on, though it was a different month. L had continued to haunt him, years after he had been buried and Light had kneeled over on his hands and knees on his grave and laughed; imagining the detective's face under all that dirt, so sure of his ultimate victory then.

How things can change.

Hands roam each other's bodies in a frenetic dance, mouths clashing. He moans into Lawliet's mouth when the man sucks on his lower lip, before kissing him hard once more, leaving Light feeling light-headed as it seemed like all of his blood was traveling downwards towards his now throbbing erection.

Unable to contain himself, he grabs onto the man's thin hips and pulls him against him, gasping as Lawliet's clothed erection comes in contact with his own, feeling satisfaction as the man jerks back a little as they touch, his wide eyes turning up to look at Light with a measure of surprise in them, making Light wonder how much the world's greatest detective had ever done with a person (as he was such a recluse) and how much was just instinct.

Light stills when Lawliet pulls back from surprise. His cock felt so hard and he felt like that he would just die if he didn't get touched again. His erection throbs and his body shakes in anticipation and want.

Lawliet seems to snap out of it and leans over Light, who noticed that the man deliberately rocked his hips over Light's, making Light bite back a loud moan that wanted to sound of his throat. Their lips meet once more, their hips rubbing against each other almost in synchronicity. The movements were threatening to set Light off and he tries to hold back; he would feel humiliated if he came first like this, because he was unable to control himself.

"Ryuuzaki, wait; I—"

L shakes his head, looking deeply into the younger man's eyes.

"Light-kun…do you—?" L starts to ask, before a loud beeping interrupts him, startling them both.

The detectives were on their way back.

Shit.

They both scramble up and they pick up their chairs with haste and sit back down in their original positions, like they hadn't just been rolling around on the floor like dogs in heat. Light attempts to straighten his hair and clothes out; _he_ at least would have looked out of place, even if L looked exactly the same as he always did.

He turns to glance at the world's greatest detective, but the man's face was turned away from him, now looking intently at the screen in front of him, looking as impassive as he always did, the sudden change from such surprising passion from the man, back to his usual expression, threw Light off-guard.

"Ryuuzaki…?" _Tell me what's going on_ , thought Light. _What were you going to say?_

There was a pause, then L turns to glance at Light, none of that earlier passion remained in his eyes.

"It seems like Kira doesn't restrain himself with everyone. Interesting."

Light's eyes widen. So this was all about _Kira?!_

_You son of a bitch._

 


	7. Why it was dangerous

It was dangerous. _Very_ dangerous. Kissing Light Yagami felt like an addiction; one taste and you just have to have more. He surprised himself with the amount of passion he was feeling as they kissed and touched; he expected to feel something, but not as much as he did. But that wasn't what was the dangerous thing, no, the pleasure he felt at Light's touch could easily be defined as a hormonal response and perfectly normal to feel lust for someone who was so obviously beautiful and a little bit broken.

Well, not so normal to feel lust for a known murderer, Kira (though of course Kira thought of what he did as Justice, both Kira and L were firm believers in Justice), but he did nevertheless. But that was not was dangerous.

The truly dangerous thing was the stirring in his heart as he kissed Light, as he pulled him closer, as they moved together in near synchronized movements. They already knew much about the other and could judge each other better than anyone else; neither of them had ever found a true equal. (Beyond Birthday hadn't ever been Lawliet's equal; he had been a parasite, one determined to become everything that was L, _become_ L, always having to be better than L Lawliet, but who never equaled what 'L' was. No, the person who was Lawliet's equal, and who, ironically enough, was the best candidate to be L's successor, was also the person who the people dubbed 'Kira'.)

A strange feeling had enveloped Lawliet's heart and he had had to distance himself again; using the kiss as an excuse to test how much Light was Kira, when in truth he had wanted to see how Light felt, had wanted to taste those lips and see if he could taste the taste of a killer beneath them.

So very dangerous.

Light was Kira, and he had to catch Kira, Kira wanted him dead, but…his head was twisting in so many directions at once that even _he_ felt like he might not be able to catch up with it. Light had seemed to utterly open in his emotions, for once. This difference in emotions felt different than the time when Light had been confined for over fifty days, when a change seemed to suddenly overcome him.

This was sudden, but it was… _different._ He couldn't quite figure out just how it was so, as he didn't seem to have all of the facts, but he knew that this was different than the sudden change of before, when he thought that there was a possibility that Kira had just controlled Light (and had controlled Amane-san) and then passed on those powers to someone else. This seemed more of a conscious change that differed from one that may have been self-induced by a need to clear himself of memories of being Kira.

The strange stirring in his heart was startling and unsettling. It was unfamiliar and he made himself push away. He couldn't let himself get closer, no matter what lies his body and the strange feelings in his heart were trying to tell him. Too dangerous to feel; that was why he always kept a distance from anything or anyone; it hadn't ever been a problem until he decided to show his face to Light, to Kira, to the Investigative Unit and made himself the most vulnerable he had ever been.

That vulnerability was coming mostly from Light Yagami and that bothered him most of all. He didn't want to feel any sort of attachment for Light, or anyone else for that matter. It was a pointless exercise and something that would only hinder what he was trying to do.

Except…it wasn't starting to feel that way. It was starting to feel… _right_. With Light, Light by his side, them both working side-by-side for the side of Justice, even just being around the younger man was affecting him. It was dangerous for him to start to feel, to move past the 'L' and remember the Lawliet, when he had an important job to do.

It was dangerous because when he was holding Light, when he was kissing him…Lawliet could feel again and let himself forget having to catch Kira, he could just… _be_. It was dangerous because he...wanted more. More of everything, and not just these newly awakened and strange feelings; no, he wanted everything that had to do with Light Yagami, the one who he said was Kira from the start.

He didn't believe in a singular God or many Gods or Goddesses; if he _did_ then he might have said that they were damning him. He could see the shock and anger through Light's eyes when he speaks so calmly and unemotionally to him, stating that he didn't think that Kira could be that emotional. He almost wanted to take it back, but holds his tongue, afraid of saying something that he couldn't ever take back; something which would damn him completely and it would cost him everything.

He was afraid; a coward; and he knew this, but this was one risk that he wasn't sure he could take, even more than when he declared himself as L to his main suspect who he was sure was Kira. He forces himself to turn away from Light's angry face, turning back to his computer and typing on it. He could make the hardest things look so simple on the outside; he doubted that Light could even tell that he felt anything as he turned away.

He was a master at holding back emotions, except for this one little slip-up when he felt the sudden desire to see what Light Yagami felt, and to feel what it felt like to kiss Light. He didn't taste the killer like he almost thought he would. There was something terribly innocent about those kisses from a killer who had killed many people, innocent and wrong at the same time, because of what he knew Light had to be, no matter how much he protested his innocence.

He clenches his hands briefly before starting to type again, hearing the door open up behind him, the other detectives speaking behind him, their voices getting louder as they approached. He wondered if they would notice anything out of place; though he was always disheveled, so they probably couldn't tell anything from looking at him. He didn't care about appearances, there were so many more things that were much more important to worry about, and so he didn't bother.

Most clothes bothered him to wear; his white shirt and baggy jeans were the only things he could really tolerate against his skin. Shoes and socks were worn only when absolutely, positively, necessary. The shoes felt like torture devices, surrounding him, keeping him in place and they were a distraction.

He nearly jumps when he feels a hand on his shoulder; he turns to look up and sees Yagami-san looking down at him with an almost sympathetic expression on his face, which rather irritated L; he didn't need sympathy; that didn't give any satisfactory results.

"Ryuuzaki, are you alright?" asked Yagami-san. "You seem rather distant. Are you tired? Even you need sleep sometimes. When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

He ponders this for a moment. What could one define as a 'good night's sleep'? Was it just the required 8 hours that was supposed to be the best for everyone? Not everyone could work on 8 hours of sleep; some needed more and some needed less. Every person wasn't the same and they worked on different schedules. He worked on something which no other person worked on.

Yagami-san looks at him exasperatedly. "If you have to think so hard about it, Ryuuzaki, then you obviously aren't getting enough. All of us will be very diligent and will wake you if it is necessary. But for God's sake, and your own, get some _sleep_ , Ryuuzaki."

He blinks and turns to look over at Light, who was pointedly not looking at him.

"…That would probably help, Ryuuzaki," said Light, rather quietly. "I could use the sleep myself; it would refresh you more than you think, and as my father said, everyone will be completely on top of things. You can't run yourself down like this night after night without there being some adverse affects."

He bites down on his thumb, staring at Light. Perhaps Light-kun and Yagami-san were right, but…he didn't expect Light to speak up as well. Though he would have to look into that; it was completely possible that Light was just doing it to keep suspicions of him down to a minimum; which increased the probability of him being Kira by 0.06 percent&.

He glances at the other detectives who all seemed to be in agreement, before turning back to look at Light who actually turns to look at him directly this time.

"…Perhaps that is the best solution in this moment," he said. "Come on Light-kun."

He quickly stands and starts to walk off, hearing Light squawk as he is forced to get out of his chair in a hurry and follow. As he and Light walk down towards the room they shared in silence, he had a thought;

…Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go to bed when Light was still handcuffed to him.

 


	8. Je désir après un tueur, le tueur désir après moi

\-----He was still feeling the anger that had settled in his stomach once L had talked and looked so emotionlessly, right after they had kissed. A part of him understood the need to keep the detectives in the dark about it, but the rest of him was angry; Lawliet had said '"It seems like Kira doesn't restrain himself with everyone. Interesting."' before the detectives had even gotten onto their floor.

He wanted to strike the man, or kiss him senseless; he wasn't sure which he wanted more right now. He let the detective lead them to the room that they had to now share again. He felt the need to show up the detective, if Lawliet could be so cold-hearted, then he could top that! No…he would find something, someway to outdo the world's greatest detective.

He WOULD.-----

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She taps her foot impatiently, eyeing the young detective.

"So L just went off by himself with Light-kun?" she asks coolly.

"It's just like I told you, they went to bed, both were feeling quite exhausted." said Matsuda. "And he wanted us to call him Ryuuzaki, Wedy-san."

She raises a brow at him, walking past him, her long blonde hair sliding off her shoulder, over to the computer center that L had set up; taking a seat in what was usually L's chair.

"I remember quite clearly, Matsuda," she says, not bothering to add a san or kun at the end, insult to injury; she hadn't liked the tone he had taken with her in the beginning.

And she didn't like waiting either. She had done everything 'Ryuuzaki' had asked of her and more; there wasn't a better thief out there than her, she was the God amongst burglars, or Goddess, as it were. Ryuuzaki had called her in for her expertise and she had given it; the least thing he could do was be here when she arrived. People didn't stand up Merrie Kenwood, if anything, she stood THEM up.

She was rather surprised that he would be sleeping, it seemed like the man hardly ever did, if at all. She couldn't ever remember seeing him sleep, even when she arrived at weird hours, preferring to work in the lovely silence of nighttime.

"Calm down, cherie," said Aiber, coming up behind her, having just entered the building himself. "Even the world's greatest detective needs to catch up on sleep and unless its an absolute emergency, then we really shouldn't bother him; we're still on the clock and getting paid, so why get upset?" He saunters over towards the kitchen, with Matsuda and Wedy watching while he opened up a cabinet and pulled out an expensive looking bottle of red wine. He pulls out a couple of glasses and pours some of the red liquid in each, taking the bottle and glasses back into the other room, handing the thief a glass.

"Drink up." said Aiber. He sets the bottle on the desk where L and Light usually worked from and sits in the seat next to Wedy, Light's usual seat. He takes a sip of the wine and closing his eyes in pleasure. Even if the world's greatest detective didn't imbibe, he sure knew how to pick the best kinds of wine for his 'guests'. Tierry Morello did nothing by halves and he didn't spare any expense either; he was not as rich as L by any means, though he was very rich himself, but he knew refined taste when he seen it.

Even if all the man ever ate was sweets and all he ever drank was coffee or tea.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

\-----He was trying to figure out just what he could do, when they abruptly stopped, causing him to nearly run into L in his thoughtfulness. Light watches as L opens the door to their shared room quickly, the door pushed wide open, making Light hurry inside before it closed on him. The man seemed rather eager to go to bed; a surprise to the younger man. L Lawliet always dreaded the time that he must stop working on the Kira case, lamenting the loss of lost time and determined to make up for it.

Well, the man was indeed right about his hypothesis, of who Kira was and who was the second Kira. He himself knew who was the third Kira, even if Lawliet did not. He just needed a way to get suspicion put on the man without putting any further suspicions on himself. But there was something he was going to first.

He allows the detective to drag them inside, towards the fairly large bed; for a man who didn't sleep often, Lawliet certainly had good taste. The sheets were of the finest quality and were also quite comfortable, the latter fact more important right now to Light for what he was planning.

And he also allowed the man to get into bed first, both of them still eerily quiet. He had no idea of the thoughts running in the other man's head and couldn't begin to fathom the mindset of L Lawliet, but he knew that they ran on the same wavelength in many areas; the man was his only equal; Mello and Near had only defeated him out of luck.

Light stands at the foot of the bed as Lawliet gets himself situated onto the bed, first sitting in his usual crouching position before leaning back to fall on the bed rather splay-legged on it. He leans over a little bit.

"You have to scoot over if I'm to lie down as well, Ryuuzaki," said Light, sounding slightly exasperated. "We're both tired and the bed isn't that big." Well, it was pretty big, but why talk about inconsequential things when there was other stuff to be had? Lawliet just looks at him for a moment, a strange and thoughtful look in his eyes, before moving over.

This was not the first time they had to share a bed, though it was the first time in awhile that Light had had to do so with L. The mechanics of it had needed to be worked out a little bit at first; sleeping was an issue as L had went on as little sleep as a person could possibly go, maybe even beyond that, and Light felt a full eight hour regimen was needed to keep up with the ever growing workload; or so it had been before, though his before was now his now and he wasn't sure just the how and why of it yet, and he didn't want to think of it at the moment as it gave him a headache.

They had also had to take showers together; something which had been dealt with, in those times, with as much indifference on both of their parts as possible; Light for one hadn't wanted to admit to himself that he had glanced over at the lanky man's body more than once, on many occasions. He had put it in the back of his mind and had forced his mind to forget about it, for he could harbor no good feelings about the man that must be killed.

Now…well, now was a different story; he had been given a second chance, for whatever reason. And, he realized with a bit of shock, he wanted to do something with that second chance, with L Lawliet especially. -----

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She lets the Frenchman pour her another glass of wine, surprised in L's tastes in wine as it seemed like he did nothing but inhale sweets and down cups of coffee and tea; maybe it was unwise of her to see L in just that light; he was after all, the world's greatest detective and there was obviously some sort of depth that she herself could not see; hell, she was unsure if _anyone_ could see it, even L himself.

Though the handsome young man, Light Yagami seemed to bring a side of L that Wedy was sure that even L wasn't used to seeing, so maybe that's where the depth was. That young little detective, Matsuda had finally left, making her glad that he decided to quit dawdling around. He wasn't getting anything done by hanging around, and was glad that the rest of the detectives had followed suit; Yagami-san finally leaving after a word from Aiber, whom he seemed to hold in slightly higher regard than herself, though they were both 'con-artists and criminals' in his words; perhaps because Aiber was a male, a stupid stereotype that Merrie Kenwood loathed and she proved time and again that females were the better of the species. No thief could come close to her skills, especially any lousy men.

She glances at Aiber over her glass. Aiber at least seemed like one of the few nice ones, quite handsome too. She debated on whether or not to ask him out, though that term seemed so high-school. He would probably be a magnificent lover. He was one of the few here that caught her interest; Matsuda was cute but would probably become too needy and he was always hovering around her whenever she was in here. Aizawa was married and she thought his haircut was bizarre; pretty cool, but not to her personal preference.

Mogi was big and silent and she liked a man to say his piece; he wasn't really attractive to her, though he seemed nice enough, she supposed. She takes a sip, letting her eyes close. Yagami-san was married, not that had ever stopped her before, but she had no interest in the man sexually whatsoever and he obviously didn't care for her. Then there was Light-kun. Quite handsome for his age, so handsome compared to his rigid father that she wondered how something that handsome could come from someone like his father.

And finally, there was L himself. He was _not_ the picture of the man she had in mind when she thought of L, what he would look like, sound like, when she finally met him. She had pictured a lot of things, but the lanky, slouched, wide-eyed younger than she expected, man was not what she had had in mind. His hair was messy and all over the place, with shadows under his eyes that looked as if they were two dark pools that never faded away. His mannerisms and way of speaking had also taken her by surprise. He wasn't the conventional standard of handsomeness, but he looked quite good, though he was a puzzle to her.

But he hadn't seemed to have any interest in her, other than her thief skills. She wasn't _that_ vain, but she knew she was quite a beauty and she had never had any trouble finding a warm body to lie with. L, however, seemed to have no sexual drive whatsoever. He treated that blonde, rather annoying girl, Misa with maddening indifference and didn't seem to take pleasure in much of anything, his emotions quite held back compared to what could be called 'normal society'.

Then there was another thing; although Misa said she was Light's girlfriend, she couldn't ever remembering seeing the two hold hands, or kiss, or any of that lovey-dovey stuff that young couples did. Light seemed quite indifferent to her, unless she became to squeal-y and then his voice would raise a bit. The only time L seemed to get past his indifference was when he interacted with Light Yagami and the opposite could be said for Light. That was a funny thought; maybe they…

She shakes her head of the absurd thought and finishes her glass of wine, setting the cup down. That was quite an absurd thought; she would have to keep away from so much wine at a time, though she was only on her third glass, if it was going to be giving her weird thoughts like that.

I mean, she thought, Light Yagami and _L_? That was like saying that Light was Kira! Quite absurd…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She bids Aiber goodnight after awhile, yawning as she headed down the hallway to one of the spare rooms. She wasn't afforded her own floor, but at the moment she just wanted a bed to lie down on and didn't care about the minor details. She walks down the hallway, pausing as she hears a strange thumping sound. She stops to listen but hears nothing, so she continues forward, managing only a few steps when she hears the sound again. She shakes her head and sees what she knew was L's door, as she had seen him and Light come from it one day, having to share rooms as they were handcuffed together.

Using the sneaking skills that made her the world famous Wedy, she sneaks over to the door, placing a delicate ear to listen intently. The sounds next surprise and shock her out of her slight buzz from the wine.

Moan. "Don't…stop, Ryuuzaki." Thump. "Don't _stop_!"

Blood rushes to her face, something that she couldn't remember the last time had happened, a hand going to her mouth. They were…oh my god! She bites her lip to hold in the sudden yelp that wanted to get out. She was shocked to her core; not that this was a bad thing though.

In fact, it was rather _hot_.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

\----- He couldn't quite figure out just how it happened. He had had it all planned in his head, things he was going to say, things he was going to do. He had factored everything in. But apparently he had missed something, for as soon as he gets himself settled; he gets grabbed and finds the lanky body of L Lawliet hovering over his.

Lawliet's mouth over his had been a shock and sent electric thrills straight to his cock. He had tried to speak, but everytime he did, L had kissed him quiet—and did a good job of doing so as well. The man had done things with his tongue that he couldn't believe. Their hands had moved together, quickly dispensing of their clothing; Lawliet's much easier to remove. He had had the whole thing planned out, but somehow L had beaten him to something again.

But he forgot everything he was going to say or do, once his hands touched the strangely hot flesh of the older man, L's stomach contracting when Light touches it. He runs his thumb over one of L's nipples, fascinated as the little nub hardens under his touch, reveling in the breathy moan that Lawliet gave. He leans forward, moving his thumb and replacing it with his mouth, licking the sensitive tip, loving how Lawliet jerked under his touch.

He opens his eyes, when had he closed them?, to see L looking at him with wider eyes than usual, his breathing heavy and labored. Light glances down to see quite an impressive erection straining towards him, precome starting to drizzle from the tip. He licks his lips and hears Lawliet's intake of breath, looking up. As he does so, Lawliet grabs onto him hard and pushes him back down onto the bed, kissing him hard, his tongue thrusting inside his mouth, leaving Light hurrying to follow suit.

He couldn't stop a shiver as the detective pushes Light's legs open slightly. His cock was hard and throbbing against L's stomach and as Lawliet moves closer, kissing him deeper; he couldn't help but move his hips against the hot skin on top of his.

Lawliet pulls back. "L-Light-kun," said L breathlessly. Light shakes his head and kisses him again.

"I don't know what you're thinking," said Light. "But don't think that you could ever pressure me into something that I don't want. I…I know that you wouldn't do that…not in this," The statement felt true, even if it surprised him. "I want this; and I know you do," he pushes his hips up again, holding back a moan as his cock rubs intimately against L's.

Lawliet on the other hand, couldn't hold back a moan and cups Light's face briefly before kissing him again. He pulls back, his hands moving to Light's hips.

"I'm thinking that I've never wanted anyone before Light-kun, before you. It bothers me and it also…is more than I could have ever hoped for myself. I hope that you will not break me."

He thrusts against Light, their erections rubbing against each other and neither of the men could hold back a cry. They move in a rhythm together, quickly, Lawliet's grip on his hips hard but there was no way that Light could say no now, no way he could pull Lawliet away. _Nothing_ could; not even the startling revelation from the man that seemed as surprising to L as it did to Light.

He pulls Lawliet's face down for a kiss, then another, then another. His hips start to move desperately against L's, his cock throbbing so hard and he couldn't ever remember feeling this way before, feeling this desperate need which sent him into overload. His lips move from L's lips to his face, kissing any part of the man he could reach, feeling another thrill as L's head moves down, licking and sucking on the juncture of Light's neck.

The pressure was building and building and Light could feel it arriving and he had never wanted something so bad before. The bed thumps hard against the wall from their thrusts but he could care less in that moment, anyone could have come in the room and he would have yelled at them to get fuck out of there, even his own father. His hands find refuge in Lawliet's wild hair and he couldn't help the little sobbing pants that came out of his mouth.

He moans as Lawliet's hips shift, feeling Lawliet's own moans against his skin. "Don't…stop, Ryuuzaki," he moans, the bed thumping against the wall again. It was all too much; he couldn't last. "Don't _stop_!" He lets out a hoarse cry as he climaxes, his seed shooting all over his and L's bodies, moaning, holding Lawliet close as the tremors of pleasure become all too much, hearing but not hearing Lawliet's own groan as he comes as well, dirtying them even further with come.

He lets go of Lawliet's hair, both of them breathing harshly with Lawliet still laying on top of him, but too tired to care at the moment. He wasn't sure how many hazy moments passed after that, but finally after awhile, Lawliet moves off of him with a slightly groan, laying next to him. He opens his mouth to speak, what he was going to say, he didn't know, but he gets further surprised when Lawliet pulls him over to him, holding him close and looking at him sleepily.

"We had best get to sleep, Light-kun." He said sleepily. "Tomorrow's a new day, Kira is still out there free…"

He lets himself settle down, allowing himself to be held tightly in the man's arms.

And he wasn't so sure about Kira being free anymore.

 


	9. Après une nuit de désir, quoi venir voisin ?

Something seemed to be bothering Wedy, but he didn't know what. He glances at her over his cup of coffee; it was too early in the morning for wine, even for a Frenchman. And he never overindulged when he had a job to do and he was still on L's clock, so he wasn't going to overdue things and mess things up with a man who held surmountable evidence over his head.

He quite admired L's tenacity; that, and the fact that L was blackmailing him quite well, kept him from doing a many other things that he could be doing. He never thought about giving L's position away, blackmail or no; he quite liked the strange (and strangely young) man and didn't want to betray his confidence or trust.

Tierry Morello always kept his word…at least to those it mattered, even if it was under the guise of 'Aiber'. He didn't do the things he did for the money; he had already been quite rich when he started doing cons and things.

No, he did it for the thrill.

The excitement that it could bring, well, that was worth going through a lot of things. He was content with his life, personal and professional, ready to face whatever was brought his way, or whatever he himself brought over.

He blows on the top of his coffee and heads over to the living area where the detectives usually gathered at. Luckily they had left earlier and were working on a strong lead that Aiber had managed to gather for them, along with Wedy's help on surveillance and bugging. Her skills came quite in handy and he hadn't yet seen someone who worked as smooth and fluid as she did. Nothing that had come her way so far had yet to seem like any sort of a challenge, as far as he could tell—and he was quite good at spotting things, part of his 'profession'.

Tierry had always been good at noticing the little things, even when he was younger. His parents, well his mother , hadn't liked his adventurous self; she had wanted him to live the pampered and sheltered life, wanting to shield her only son from the world—and not wanting him to mix with the more 'common' folk of the fair city of Paris.

His father, on the other hand, had always been an active huntsman and had rock climbed in many of the famous mountains, had skied and the like and wanted his son to be like him, to always take things head on, never be afraid of anything and fight until the end.

He missed them; it had been a little over two years since they had both died in a car crash, something so sudden that had shook his world.

He shakes his head of these thoughts and sits next to the lady thief. She looks up startled as he sits down, apparently quite absorbed in…whatever it was that was getting her thinking so hard.

"Wedy?" Since it was just them two in the room right now, he chose to speak English and forget the honorifics that the Japanese were so big on and he suspected that Wedy was too caught up in her thoughts to really notice either way. "Perhaps you would like to get something off of your chest?"

She looks at him hard for a moment, her mouth starting to open, but the sound of quick footsteps in their direction stopped her and got both her and Aiber's attention. L was plodding along like he always did, with Light in tow, both looked as if they hadn't got a lot of sleep; not like this was new, especially on L, but there was something…different about it, though he couldn't put his finger on it. But, L never actually _looked_ tired, there were shadows under his eyes, sure, but L himself never looked as if he was looking forward to a whole night's sleep, at least from what Aiber could gather.

He certainly didn't, when turning to glance at Wedy, to see a blush suffuse her face and for her to avert her rather pretty eyes from the sight of the world's three greatest detectives and his top Kira suspect. What the hell?

"Hello, Wedy-san, Aiber-san, Bonjour; je espoir tu avoir pas attendre depuis." (Good morning; I hope that you have not waited long.) said L, surprising Aiber on just how smoothly the man could transition from Japanese to French so fluently, especially at the hour of the morning, and could speak French so well also.

Although Aiber was French, something L had always known, and had first…come into contact with L (a simplified way of saying, instead of the fact that he had been caught by the man) in France, L had spoken English that day, as did Aiber. The fact that L could go from flawless Japanese to flawless French without a moment's pause let Aiber know that the man was everything that people said he was—and more. (Not that he didn't believe the stories, though some _were_ rather hard to believe…)

Looking from Wedy (who was still blushing like a little schoolgirl), to L (who looked as unruffled as ever), to Light who looked torn between nervousness and amusement.

…Just what the hell had he missed?

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The morning had started out well, (or as well as could be when all the members in the room were working to catch a mass-murderer whom the people dubbed Kira.) with the detectives going over new file information that Mogi had painstakingly organized down to the last detail (all without a murmur of complaint) and L had sent Wedy off to do more reconnaissance on each of the Yotsuba group's homes in turn (still not quite looking either the detective or his suspect in the eyes); Aiber meanwhile had also left at L's request, going to talk to Namikawa as Eraldo Coil (another one of L's aliases; one of the top three detectives in the world, along with L and L's other alias, Danuve.) and try and set up some sort of meeting with the Yotsuba group who had called Coil in hopes of taking down L.

Not knowing that all along, L was also Coil and Aiber was acting as Coil. Light had been watching the camera surveillance closely, ready for that one thing that would lead Higuchi to dig his own grave (something that Light wouldn't feel bad about; the man was the epitome of everything that had made Light keep using the Death Note in the first place) or to distract L or one of the others if some sort of remark was made that could possibly be connected to Light.

He rather doubted it, since Higuchi didn't know him personally, but with the Yotsuba group looking at Misa as a potential client of theirs, it put her close to them and they might learn something from her, even accidentally. Light felt quite glad that L had been making Misa keep her distance from the building, or at least the floor he and L stayed on.

He felt tired of having to continually rebuff her advances—in the nicest way of course; he had had to keep her strategically close as much as possible, as she had knowledge that could damage him irrevocably. She didn't have her memories of being the Second Kira at the moment, this much he knew because of the point that everyone was in the investigation and his own memories of what had happened before. The Yotsuba conversations were pretty much exactly as he remembered them (and he had an astounding memory). There were only a few things that had changed. Like…

He turns and glances over at L, jumping back a little in his chair, startled, as L turns to look at him in the exact same moment. He averts his face, hating, and fighting, the unmanly blush that wanted to suffuse his face. The night before had been nothing short of surprising, amazing and rather discomforting all at once; and the very latter was because of the disconcerting feelings he had felt afterwards.

He knew a lot of things; he could say this without pride (even if no one would believe that) and he knew that he had been having conflicting feelings about the man since he got back here (which he was _very_ curious as to how he did and why), but he hadn't thought that they would be so strong or potent; not realizing, (or not admitting to himself, if truth be told) that his feelings for the detective were starting to develop on a different level, stronger, deeper; he thought that he might be, could possibly be, falling for the man—and that was scaring the hell out of him.

Not just, or not really, because of Lawliet himself, but just the word _love_ in general never failed to make him shudder and/or roll his eyes and scoff at the fact. Not because he didn't think love didn't entirely exist, though he had been quite skeptical (probably more so than the existence of a Shinigami—which had been much easier to accept), but usually it was something that girls tended to spout off about (Misa was a perfect example) and it didn't seem something like that someone could truly feel in equal measure. Just how could you know that you were in love with a person? Was there something definable in the person or perhaps a feeling in your heart?

He gulps slightly, trying to focus on the conversation on the monitor in front of him, finding it difficult to remain concentrated on it. If Light had to say the moment that he knew (which made his heart beat all funny and his brain wanted to scoff at, but couldn't) was the moment when he had allowed himself to be held in Lawliet's arms, L who was all compliant and warm and had looked at Light just so… God, this was so fitting.

Fucking ironic to realize that for the first time you are truly feeling something for a person, feeling something which you've never felt before, feeling something that cannot be equaled to something else and then to know it's to the one person who it shouldn't be. Fucking fitting and he hated it as much as he was coming to find that he loved the enigmatic figure known to all in the room as 'Ryuuzaki' or 'L' but was known as Lawliet to Light in his head and his traitorous heart.

It hurt like a son of a bitch because he had no idea what the other man was thinking or feeling, other than lust. They hadn't said anything to each other in the ways of love or anything of that sort. It was a bitter pill to swallow that L had probably just seen it as a way to find release and a way to keep his prime suspect close; there was no way for him to know what Lawliet was feeling; he couldn't just up and ask him (especially with everyone else in the room) and even if he _did_ somehow get an answer from the man—he couldn't be sure that it wasn't just another fabrication made by L to snare in Kira further.

Someone, surely, was laughing at him right now—and he wouldn't be surprised if that someone had red eyes and loved apples.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The morning had gone (now mostly) smoothly, though Light gave no outward appearances to what he was feeling, so L or the other detectives couldn't ask him about it. He was rather good at a poker face, as was L, though L had a disconcerting way on being able to zero in on the smallest thing, whether it was a facial expression or a small remark; the man was brilliant (despite what his eccentric look might say about him) and knew exactly what he was doing.

He had been able to focus well again, though he kept shooting Lawliet annoyed looks because the man kept nudging a piece of cake at him (why wasn't he eating it?). When Light actually deigned to look over at him, he saw a total of 5 empty saucers with what was obviously cake (or the small crumbs that had somehow survived the black hole that was L), four empty tea cups (with one halfway gone, sitting on L's left) and one piece of chocolate cake that looked as if it was smothered with chocolate on top.

Lawliet looks at him with an expectant look on his face.

"Finally, I have gotten Light-kun's attention; I had the piece of cake left over and thought that perhaps Light-kun might like a small break after staring at his screen so hard for so long." Remarked Lawliet, still nudging the piece of cake at Light's hand while Light looked at him with a mixture of astonishment and amusement, not sure just what to feel. "I thought that…you might like it."

Light blinks dubiously. Was Lawliet, in that ever strange manner of his, actually trying to give something to Light and show some sort of affection towards him? Because of last night? Even if it _wa_ s just a piece of cake—though L wouldn't see it that way, no matter the cause—it actually managed to touch Light, showing the teen just how hard and how far he had fallen for the man.

He tries to scowl but the look on the man stops him and he gives Lawliet a tired smile, accepting the insistent offering from the detective and picking up the fork on the saucer. Even if he had never liked sweets very much (one thing that he differed from Lawliet in), he figured the least thing he could do was to eat it—take a few bites at least. His heart starts to beat a little faster when L gives him a small smile in return when he takes a bite and he decides to mess with the detective a little—that was always fun.

He pulls the fork out of his mouth slowly, never taking his eyes off the detective as he pulls it in again and takes it out again, his tongue licking all of the chocolate off in slow motions that he saw had Lawliet mesmerized on his mouth. He inwardly smirks and gives himself a point to the silent game that was Light vs. Lawliet.

Even if he didn't want the man's death anymore, and he didn't, they were still always trying to find ways to one up each other and because of their actions the night before , which had also included Light receiving a startling good blowjob, coming hard at the sight of Lawliet in between his legs, mouth feeling so fucking incredible, and rubbing against the sheets so blatantly, moaning around Light's erection as he worked his hips as they both came so hard that Light felt that he might never come down. The memory of it made his erection twitch and he was glad that Lawliet's eyes were glued to his face and not to his crotch; it wouldn't do good to have a raging hard-on with everyone else in the room.

Though if L would lead them into another room for one excuse or another and decided to 'take care' of it, well…then who was he to refuse?

But in the next moment something grabs all of their attention; Misa comes running into the room, with Mogi-san in tow—him having to act as her manager now that Matsuda's cover had been shot all to hell and back.

"Light! Higuchi is Kira!"

His eyes widen and the fork falls to a clatter to the floor, forgotten, as he and L both whip their heads to look at her. She looked very happy with herself and Light knew where this moment came into play—and couldn't believe that he had missed the exchange in the car with her and Higuchi. From the look on L's face, he had too. Lawliet had been so caught up in trying to get Light's attention and Light had been quite absorbed in his own thoughts as well as trying to watch his screen which had the Yotsuba group's meeting room on it, that he hadn't noticed.

Well, hell.

L starts to open his mouth to speak to Misa (and Light had a good feeling he knew what L was going to ask) when a noise behind L gets their attention. The monitor in front of L lights up and the L symbol blazes on it. Light now knew that this was Watari on the other side of it.

"Ryuuzaki, I am turning the monitors on the new camera's that Wedy has finished installing; there is something that you need to see right now." Everyone could hear the urgency in Watari's voice, even Misa and they all come quickly to where L and Light were sitting at.

The screens flicker for half a second before coming on to show the slumped form of Hatori, one of the suspects to be the Third Kira. Light could hear the collective little gasps of shocks from Misa and the detectives behind him and Lawliet. L looked as detached as he always did (other than the look Lawliet had been giving him personally a few moments earlier).

L leans forward and talks into the microphone.

"How long has he been down Watari?"

The answer came immediately. "Less than a minute, Ryuuzaki; he had been about to open the door to go outside his home," Hatori was lying crookedly in front of his slightly ajar door. "And he collapsed; I got up the feed as soon as I was able to."

"Of course," remarked L, as if he was assuring the man that he didn't expect anything less. "You did a good job. Now what els—"

"Wait! Here! Look!" The screen's start to change and soon on all of the monitors, every single member of the Yotsuba group was on there, all collapsed on their floors in their respective houses, all with their eyes wide open and glazed over; dead.

Including Higuchi.

"B-but," stammered Matsuda. "Misa-Misa, you just said that Higuchi was—"

"He is! Was…I—" she looked for a loss of words as Light glanced at her, though he had the absolute feeling that she had nothing to do with this; he had always been able to read her very openly, not like it was a very hard thing to do, especially for him because she was so enamored with him.

This was something that Light did _not_ expect. Just what the hell was going on? He didn't like not being in the know about things—

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Delete! Delete! Delete!" Laughter follows as the hand trails across the page, many, many names getting written down in quick succession. He wipes a stray strand of black hair away from his face, turning his head up from the red& Death Note to look at the imposing figure behind him.

"So I've done a good thing then, Rem? Do you think I have pleased the God, our Kira, our Savior?" He asked, passion infusing his tone as he looked at the female shinigami.

Rem looks down at him, a smile on her face. The entire Yotsuba group was dead and Misa had been nowhere near when it happened to them all, so it couldn't be blamed on her or Light Yagami. Misa was safe. She looks at the young human. She supposed he was good looking to other humans, though as a Shinigami she was supposed to stave off any sort of humanly desire of that sort. He helped her wholeheartedly, for the cause of Kira (which Rem only cared about because of Misa) and was willing to do whatever she said, because she said it was all for Kira, to do the world Justice.

It was something that left a distasteful taste on her tongue, but she was willing to do anything (even to sacrifice her own life) to make sure that Misa was safe; and if that meant helping Light Yagami to this extent, even if she hadn't been able to speak with him in awhile, and to do recruit this young man in his stead, then she was more than willing.

Anything for Misa.

 


	10. Il devait venir à Japan à arrêter Kira, ne pas chute dans amour avec lui

Blood splatters everywhere, he breaths heavily as he gets stricken again and again, deep slashes and gashes going through his body, healing and then opening up again as his body gets tossed this way and that way, refusing to show signs of weakness.

Especially for something that had just been an accident. Then, finally...it stops. He lets out a breath and shakily stands up, his legs just barely managing to hold him up, but he felt his strength starting to return to him. Droplets of blood fall from the many gashes in his body, punctures in him that would have killed a human outright, but he was not a human; he was a Shinigami and he could withstand things that humans could only dream of.

But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt any.

He bows his head in an unusual show of submission, but then again, this was the old man he was standing in front of after all. The old man was taking a different form this time. The Death King never looked the same whenever Ryuk saw him, maybe he too was bored? He could only guess. The old man sometimes took the forms of what were obviously Shinigami but most of the time, he took forms of humans, perhaps making a mockery of them or something, he didn't know.

Right now he was taking the form of someone who looked a lot like L Lawliet, the detective that was causing so much trouble (but also much needed excitement) to Light, except that this wasn't exactly L in appearance though. The form had the same wide eyes but they were blood red instead of black, the hair was much messier and was cut erratically. There was the same jeans and shirt, but the shirt had red splattered on the shirt.

The Shinigami King now sits in the chair, in a manner once again similar to Lawliet's, except this was much more exaggerated and looked quite ridiculous, biting his thumb so hard that blood dripped down it. Ryuk found the courage (or was that stupidity?) to ask a question out right to the Death King right after what happened.

"And who is that supposed to be?" asked Ryuk. "Are you just twisting L Lawliet's look to suit your own purposes?"

The thumb gets removed from his mouth and he grins at Ryuk, the grin looked very twisted indeed (and Ryuk didn't know if it was because of it coming from the King of all Shinigami or because this was how the man whose form the King took, acted like).

"Beyond Birthday, Ryuk," the voice was slightly gravelly, as if from disuse. "I know you must have heard of that name--Kira killed him after all." That was true, and it was also true that Ryuk knew that name--Light had been talking about how silly the name was when he wrote it down. "He hadn't spoken a word, Beyond, since the day they caught him and L had him locked away. He tried oh so hard to be Lawliet's equal and then he tried to be better than him, he wasn't even close on either account, a sick and twisted individual was he..."

He grins that twisted smile again. "You should consider yourself thankful my little Ryuk; if I didn't like you as much as I do, I probably would have killed you for bringing back Kira, even if it _was_ an accident..."

"I wrote Light's name in my Death Note and he died on those stairs I did everything I knew I would do in the end, once I knew that all my fun would be ended, but...I didn't mean to do anything." He had went over to Light's body and stared down at him for a few quiet moments, when his Death Note slipped from his hands and landed on the fallen form of Light. There was a flash of light, and a soft gasp of breath from Light, his eyes opening briefly before disappearing--he was alive again. "The Death Note seemed to act on its own..."

"I think unconsciously you were thinking if you could go back and do things over, so you would have more time to enjoy the human world. I can use just the small intellect of a human--Beyond maybe--and see that for myself; am I right?" Ryuk was silent.

The Death King lets out a little guffaw. "You didn't see it yourself, but something inside of you I think liked Light Yagami. Not love, that is a foolish statement to make, but like...I can see that easily. I want you to look in here," he gestures and a smaller sphere like the ones that Shinigami looked through to see the human world appeared. "And tell me what you see."

Ryuk does as he's bidden and peers inside the sphere. The first thing he sees is Light looking surprised and frightened, realizing that he was somehow back alive. More images come in quick succession, including the sight of Light and Lawliet in bed together, quite obviously having sex and more images of them seeming to enjoy each other's company...though it looked like they were trying to hide that fact.

The last image was that of a human that Ryuk had only ever saw once, now that he recalled it, he had been a quiet young man sitting on that Spaceland bus that Light had made that bank robber come on and busjack. He could see the human's name and lifespan above his head; Teru Mikami.

"I gave Jastin a notebook and I watched him days later, seeing him drop it into the human world. He told me it was because he found himself curious as to what would become of it. And I gave this one something different than others, right after I killed the Shinigami who it once belonged to," said the Death King.

He smirks. "The idiot thought that he could get something past me, me! His intelligence was quite low and he broke many of the rules, so I killed him. But as to the notebook…" He bites on his thumb again, licking it when it bleeds again. "I made it to where the first Shinigami near it would be the one who would haunt the first human to pick it up. Rem was the closest Shinigami so she now possesses that human you seen in the sphere, Teru Mikami. I know that you know him, Ryuk. He was a pretty good Kira-proxy wasn't he?"

Ryuk was quite confused and let it show, glad to feel the cuts and punctures on his body now healing up completely. Mikami had died when Near had him commit suicide when Near used the Death Note&&. And Rem had died when she had written that old man Watari—Qullish Wammy and L Lawliet into her Death Note.

"Ah, I can see you are confused!" The Death King, still looking like the eerie Beyond Birthday, laughs at him. "Well, you see my dear Ryuk, when you 'accidentally' brought back Kira a few things happened as a result. The timeline of the human world is different than what it used to be, or what it was going to be and that started from the moment Kira landed back in time and started to do things differently than he had before. And the point in time he came back was right before Rem dies, so…she's back too!" He laughs again and with a flash he takes his normal form (or usual one anyway, Ryuk couldn't say for sure if it was his real form—no one could.)

"And now Mikami is doing things on his own and doing them earlier than he did before?" asked Ryuk.

"Yes, quite. You really did a number on their world didn't you?" He laughs and shakes his head, looking at Ryuk with amusement in his gaze. "Mmm…you should be glad that I have decided that this is all much too amusing, otherwise you'd be dead. I must confess myself curious as to what might happen next. So you can go back to the human world now."

Ryuk blinks in surprise. Go back…what would he say and do once he got there? What would Light's reaction be when he got there? He stops. Wait…why did he care? He shakes that weird thought away and nods at the Death King. The Shinigami King waves a hand at him.

"Go on now. Don't forget that Misa Amane still has that notebook, so you will be attached to her when you get there." said the Death King dismissively. Ryuk nods and stretches his wings out, starting to leave. "Oh, and Ryuk?" Ryuk turns to glance back at him. The Death King's wide black eyes stare out at him. "Have fun."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The deaths of all the Yotsuba members of the "Meetings of Death" was very shocking to all in the room, but probably Light most of all. He supposed that many things would be different this time around because he was doing things differently, felt differently, so things wouldn't be exactly as they had been.

Which was a good thing, especially because of how his life ended before; now he had the chance to do something differently. He was just still unsure on just what that would be, which direction he would go in.

There was a moment of pause, then L contacts Watari again. "Watari, you and Wedy get out of the Yotsuba building now and get back here; there is no more reason for surveillance." Wedy and Watari had left earlier to put cameras up in all of the houses of the Yotsuba group, Wedy still not exactly looking him or Light in the eyes, which he found interesting, but which must be put on the back burner to this new development.

"Yes, Ryuuzaki," replied Watari. "Should I go ahead and make an anonymous call to the police to tell them to come to these houses now? I have all of the addresses."

L glances at the detectives, fingers resting on the edge of the desk. "Yes, please do so. It would sound suspicious if one of the detectives called in with the information. But if you would wait for Wedy to do a quick search of the houses and see if there might be any evidence to be found and keep an eye out for visitors by watching the feed?"

He receives an affirmation from both of them and turning off the microphone, he leans down and grabs the fork that Light had dropped. He thrusts it at Matsuda who takes it with fumbling hands.

"You need to get another fork so Light-kun can finish his cake." That statement about something so minor seemed to break the silence which had been there ever since Watari first contacted them with the shocking video.

He looks over at Light who was still indeed holding the piece of cake in his hands, still looking quite shocked. Lawliet didn't know what to make of it, there was a small chance that it was indeed genuine because Light was not Kira and didn't have any involvement with Kira either, but...no.

Lawliet knew Light was Kira, just as Misa was the Second Kira. He gives her an almost disdainful glance. He wasn't particularly happy to see her, but it was also just as good to keep her close; he couldn't let the Second Kira get that far away.

Though he had to say that he was glad that he had the ultimate poker-face, because if he didn't then he might do something unseemly, like blush, after the events of last night. It was silly, but it was something that almost had the potential to happen; _almost_.

He couldn't remember the last time he blushed. He shakes these irrelevant thoughts out of his head, quite unneeded. He blinks when Misa suddenly runs up to the desk, Light letting out an exclamation, and only just managing to sit the cake on the desk before Misa embraces him.

Something seems to suddenly burst from his chest, his throat, suffocating Lawliet. He didn't know just what he was feeling. His eyes narrow as Misa holds onto Light, not really noticing that Light was looking at Misa with obvious disgust.

All he could see was the two forms of Light and Misa, all tangled up together. _Together_. The feeling in his chest seemed to be growling and he knew then that he was jealous. Mine! He's mine! I love him and he is mine! His eyes widen bigger than usual and he lets out a ragged gasp, turning away from the sight of the two.

Love? That was an unknown word in L Lawliet's vocabulary. He had never loved anyone, not like kind of love, and he had certainly never been loved. Why would he think such a thing? It couldn't be true...

"Misa missed her Light so much!" squealed Misa.

...would it seem so bad if he punched a girl? Maybe he should kick her; it was usually what he fought with after all...his feet...

"Misa, that's...nice," grated Light. "But, please get off, there's work that needs to be done. Right, Ryuuzaki?" He kept glancing over at Lawliet, but he didn't notice; he was still too caught up in his thoughts for once.

...perhaps he should kiss Light to stake his claim? It had a little medieval taste to it, but surely then she would back off...

"Ryuuzaki?" This was from Soichiro. He sounded concerned, which was awfully nice. But he might not be so concerned if he knew what L and Light had been doing. And the fact that Lawliet felt...he felt...

He felt overwhelmed.

Love...love? How and when did he fall in love with Light-kun? But he knew that it wasn't because Light was Kira--that was a perverse thought and he knew that had nothing to do with it. ...He did? If he did then he had to admit that he _did_ love Light. Love...what an irony. Yes...he was in love.

He knew he was; it was different than anything else he had ever felt before. He was in love for the first time ever, just like last night had been his first intimate touch with another human being. It was with Light, a male, so he supposed that might define him as gay, but he wasn't sure. It wasn't like he had ever been with anyone else to know, not to mention the fact that he had never looked at anyone with desire _ever_...not until Light that was.

Maybe it was a gradual process? Light was certainly very attractive, with a voice that could probably melt butter if he tried hard enough. But it wasn't that, or just that. There had been something indefinitely freeing about finally finding an individual who could speak on the same level as him, who could actually challenge him and continue to give him a challenge. A true equal.

As hard as the mentally unstable Beyond 'Ryuuzaki' Birthday had tried to be...he had never been close. Mello and Near were very intelligent and were coming along, but they would never be an equal to him; maybe if they worked together they might come close but...

They were no Light Yagami.

There was also something different about Light these past few days. First upon finding him on his knees in the living area, looking up at Lawliet with those eyes. Those eyes had not held Kira in them and he had been looking for it. He could see when it was Light talking and when it was Kira, he believed that he had gotten good at that. But...over this time, he has only seen Light and not Kira.

Either Light was getting better than he dreamed at hiding things or...he was being sincere, being Light. The Light that had told him so adamantly when he was confined that he was not Kira. Those eyes had shown him.

"Ryuuzaki!" He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looks up, with his eyes still wider than usual, and sees Light looking at him concernedly, apparently having got out of Misa's clutches. "Are you alright?" Those eyes...He turns his gaze away, trying to control his breathing.

"I am...fine, Light-kun." When had it become so difficult to speak? If this was what love did, then maybe he didn't really need it.

The hand on his shoulder didn't move and he lets out a sound out of his throat when Light grabs onto his face, making him have to look into those eyes. Those eyes burned his soul, his very being. Light made the detective remember that Lawliet existed first, not L.

"You're not fine." insisted Light. "The deaths of the Yotsuba group have been shocking to us all but..." His voice lowers so only Lawliet could hear him. "Is there anything that you want to talk about?"

"Perhaps...later." replied L. I do love you...

Light seemed to get the message of what later really meant, because his faces flushes and he quickly lets go and moves back to his chair, leaving L able to turn back to his own computer, hearing as Matsuda neared with another fork and Misa hovers over Light's shoulder.

He had come to Japan to stop Kira not fall in love with him, but...maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hours later, the deaths of the eight members of the Yotsuba group hit the news and it created uproar, especially because of the lack of deaths from Kira lately. It was declared by the medical examiner that had been hired that they had all died of heart attacks.

Kira was back.

The deaths were first reported by NHN's newswoman, Kiyomi Takada, who had become very popular very quickly, who used to go to college with Light and was also one of the many girls that Light had dated during that time. So now he was in Misa's room with Light and Misa (as Light and he were still handcuffed together) and he turned the television on to catch up on some news while Misa talked Light's head off. And it helped to keep from having to look at Light-kun too much or listen to Misa.

As soon as Takada appeared on the screen, he heard an exclamation of surprise from Light and he glances over at him, taking care not to look into his eyes again. He wondered idly if Light still had any leftover feelings for her then scolds himself for thinking stuff like that again; he had acted stupidly enough when he seen Misa hug Light. Perhaps it was just from his body getting used to unfamiliar things it never had before, like sex, and so his brain was overcompensating and—

"…they are Eiichi Takahashi, 40, married with child. Suguru Shimura, 36. Kyosuke Higuchi, 32. Shingo Mido, 32. Masahiko Kida, 32, married. Takeshi Ooi, 43. Reiji Namikawa, 30. And Arayoshi Hatori, 33, married with children. Hatori is also known as the illegitimate son of the President of Yotsuba—"

"I still can't believe their all dead," said Light quietly. A quick glance at him saw Light with a hand to his mouth, looking thoughtful. "And all at once too; I mean…if it really was Kira…" He trails off.

"Maybe it was just coincidence?" said Misa, rather thoughtfully. He was surprised at the thoughtful tone but his eyes narrow at Misa's holding onto Light's arm. Light _did_ look rather irritated at her which childishly pleased him. The television gets his attention again at Takada's next statement.

"These deaths are the work of Kira." She said calmly. "He is not pleased with the world as it is. The world has turned rotten; criminals are quickly becoming a majority of the world, the society cannot live free and happy like it should be. That is why Kira is here. Kira has been chosen to be the protector of the world and Kira has chosen me to be his spokesperson. All his messages will be told to you through me. We will make a peaceful and prosperous society where no one has to live in fear and terror. We will be free!"

How…asinine, as well as surprising. Was Kira really…?

"She's a fool," murmured Light.

Lawliet turns to look at Light with an expectant look in his eyes (well, probably nobody else would notice it, but Light would) and ignores Misa as she does the same.

"Care to elaborate, Light-kun?" he asks, resting one of his hands on his knees and taking the tip of his free thumb in his mouth. He was interested to hear what the person he thought of, _knew_ to be Kira, would say. Because even if he didn't remember being Kira, he used to be, that was a fact.

"She very well may be…Kira's spokesperson," His expression was unreadable. "But saying that Kira can change the world by doing murder on a massive scale is just idiocy. The world may stop committing crime…at first. Some people, the people who like having blinders on, will probably see it at a better place, but ultimately it will be a world of terror and fear and the person who is Kira will have his plate full keeping the masses from overwhelming him and he will not have one moment of peace." Why do you sound like that Light-kun?

"Movements to usurp him will constantly be moving and eventually someone or a group of people will find a way to stop him. The world can't live that way. Even if his cause was started with good intensions, you can't start something like that and have it end well if you continue on the path you are on. It just…won't work."

Light turns to look at him and this time he could not pull away from his eyes. Takada and her alarming and surprising statement were forgotten, Misa was forgotten, the case was forgotten, everything was forgotten until nothing was left but Light and Lawliet.

I really do love you…

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The door closes softly behind her and she lets out a little breath, eyes closed. She opens them to find someone sitting in her chair, but then again, she had asked him to be here. She felt relief at the smile on his mouth. He was quite the looker, Teru Mikami. Shoulder length black hair and dark eyes accented by glasses that he sometimes wore.

Today he was dressed in a black pinstripe suit, with a long-sleeved black shirt that had the top two buttons undone, and black dress shoes completed the outfit. He had no doubt come from his work as an up and coming attorney to the television station. Even better to Takada, who had more interest in intelligence over handsomeness on a man (though that was always a plus), was that he was extremely intelligent. He was the first man other than Light Yagami in her college days (which hadn't been that long ago) that she actually respected and was stimulated both intellectually and sexually.

She walks up to him and he gives her that smile again.

"You did a good job, Takada. Kira is sure to be pleased."

She smiles back and stands in front of him.

"Thank you. And I await the day that we will finally meet him face to face. I assume that the search for him is coming along?" she asks, turning to sit in the chair opposite him and faces him.

"It is coming along well. Rem is unable to tell me where other Death Note owners or Death Notes are being located so she cannot tell me his exact location and the other clues she has given me has been rather vague…at first. But she has confirmed the region where he is at. It is still Kyoto, just like that bastard L had said on the air before. It is only a matter of time. From what I have gathered, he is in an unwanted position and cannot work freely yet." said Mikami.

"Well, that is why we decided killing the Yotsuba group isn't it?" she said. "Rem told you that the Second Kira was in danger and gave you the names of all but the third Kira, so you could protect the Second Kira who is currently with Kira?"

Mikami nods swiftly. "Quite. She couldn't reveal the location of his Death Note or who he was, but after she gave me the other names, that became a simple task that took no effort in figuring out. I was surprised to see Hatori already dead, but then again, I don't suppose Higuchi had much use for him in the end. But it turned out well and luckily he killed him with just a heart attack. I don't want everyone else figuring out that you can use means other than a heart attack to kill people. And I imagine that Kira doesn't either. Either way, justice was served. We will find Kira and—"

Takada interrupts. "And we will eliminate L. For justice."

Mikami laughs. "For justice!"

 


	11. The False, the Passion, the Truth, the Trust, the Faith and a Decision

The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth. -Niels Bohr

: :: : : :: :

"The deaths of Kenichi Masamoto and Ryoko Masamoto, a married couple, were deserved. They were guilty of murder, dismembering their victims who had been wholly innocent. Kira has judged the Masamoto's, as the coward government would not do, and they were found guilty. A swift death was what was needed. Hear these, the words of Kira…"

"'I am passing judgment over all the people of the world; any found to be unclean and undeserving, will die. I am righteous; I am the cleanser that this world so desperately needs. You who have done nothing wrong have nothing to fear; it is only those who are the biggest sinners, murderers, rapists and the like, that have good reason to fear, for they will all soon perish. This world will become the place that it should be.' This is what Kira has told me." said Takada.

The detectives were all around the screens at the desk, watching her broadcast; in the past couple of days, ratings for NHN had went up over 60 percent and over 80 percent for the program Takada was on. This was the third message that Takada had 'relayed' from Kira.

Though the deaths she had brought up, like the Takahashi's in the last broadcast, happened after she said she received Kira's 'messages', it was also a strong possibility that she herself was the Fourth Kira (not the First, as L had the First one sitting right next to him), and was just using this as a cover, saying that she was just the spokesperson, when in truth, she was the actual one.

Though he strongly suspected that she truly was the spokesperson, rather than the actual killer, the actual new Kira. It was just a hunch of his, but he had never been wrong about a hunch when he believed in it so strongly, such as believing, knowing, that Light was the First Kira. Takada speaks again, regaining his attention.

"Kira has asked me to tell you one more thing he has said, and it is this; 'L, you are part of a flawed system and are blind to the struggles of the world, hiding behind a letter and a voice. You demand Kira's head, the person who only wants what is best for the world, demand that he come out of the woodwork, but you yourself are too scared to show your face. Where is your justice now?'" spoke Takada.

"'All around us, the world is starting to change, starting to realize that Kira is needed; this world has become a rotten place and it is necessary to get rid of a few rotten parts to save the whole. You are rotten; you will be found L, and you will be killed along with all the other evil people in this world, because you might be the worst one of them all.'" said Takada.

"'Some people might murder or rape other people, but you turn a blind eye to it, and that is one of the most unforgivable things for me. I will rejoice, and I know others will as well, when you are defeated. Kira is watching, L and he is waiting, and your time is drawing to a close.' And if you find out any information on L or his whereabouts, you can contact me and I will let Kira know all you have said."

It goes to another part of the news, the detectives all looking at each other in disbelief. Light was completely quiet, still staring at the screen thoughtfully and Lawliet thought that statement was something that he could easily see Light saying. Finding himself in love or not, L was very, very far from stupid and even love would not make him grow soft.

He still suspected Light, but he was slowly coming to the realization that things were changing around him, subtle ones that Light had been doing; things Light had said, his mannerisms and the like. They were becoming less and less like Kira and more like the Light that had looked into the camera in his cell and said with such conviction that he was not Kira.

L suspected that Light had lost his memories of being Kira and believed that even stronger now, since he suspected with a fairly large percentage that Light had somehow regained his memories back.

He also believed that Misa-san had too, after watching her closely over the last couple of days. He had demanded that she stay on her former floor once more instead of her apartment, for the time being; the detectives, especially Matsuda, made some noise about it, but there was little they could actually do about it, or at least they didn't do anything about it.

It was about the bigger picture after all, and it was just staying in the building instead of her apartment; it wasn't like the confinement in the cell she originally had to deal with, though he would do that again if things became extreme.

He was also letting her go outside as she pleased, as long as she was closely watched by Mogi-san at all times (other than bathroom things, obviously). He didn't do it out of a need to feel nice towards someone for once, but rather maybe she knew something else that she might lead him to.

Or there might be a small possibility, about 1.1 percent chance that she also knew Takada, like Light did, and/or the Fourth Kira, though as he had thought before, it was entirely possible that Takada was the Fourth Kira. There was an even smaller possibility that Light himself, as he once knew Takada, could somehow relay something to Misa to send onto Takada, only about a 0.3 percent chance of that actually being true, but it was still a percentage and he kept his eyes on that closely.

The only way Light could have done that was last night when Lawliet had slept a mere 45 minutes in bed, with Light actually still awake ahead of him as he fell into sleep. He severely doubted that he could have wrote a message for Misa to give to Takada, as Misa would have thrown a giant fit when she saw them in bed together naked, covered mostly by the blanket sure, but still naked. And the jostling of the handcuffs while passing a message, combined with Misa's inability to shut up or be quiet would surely have woken him up.

So that meant that Light at least was not doing anything or sending anything, to Takada. There was a Fourth Kira, parading around as the original. Glancing at Light, he wondered what the original one thought of that. Did Light even care anymore? And if he didn't--if Light was ready to give up Kira, admit to L that he was Kira...what would Lawliet do then?

L said that he was ready to be Light's redemption if he was not Kira...but what if he was? If he was really Kira and was ready to turn his back on it...could L just let him? Even if Light was ready to turn over a new leaf, could Lawliet really just forget about all of that?

He didn't think he could ever forget it, but...he also knew that he wanted Light Yagami around. Not Kira, but Light. Light was the one who truly drew him, who made him know that unfamiliar emotion of love, feel jealousy towards Misa, who was the most exquisite thing that Lawliet had ever seen, and Light was all his. If Light was ready to give up being Kira...then Lawliet would help him. He was just waiting for the moment that Light would tell him that he was Kira.

"Ryuuzaki, don't listen to her!" exclaimed Matsuda suddenly, causing everyone to turn and look at him, even Light. "Or Kira in this case. I admit I'm surprised that Kira would get a spokesperson, but it kind of fits Kira's personality; it would boost his already big ego even further, making him feel even more like what he is doing is right, or righteous, to use his words."

"You surprise me, Matsuda-san," admitted L, looking up at the standing detective, still sitting in his own chair in his usual manner. "You've gotten how Kira thinks quite clearly." He turns to look at Light. "Light-kun, perhaps you will feel the need to share your opinion on the matter." Light slowly turns his head to look directly into Lawliet's eyes and L had to force himself to keep staring into that intense gaze, even now the passion in them unnerved him, though for an entirely new reason now.

"I don't think that it's Kira that she is speaking to." replied Light, him now being the one who turns his gaze away; he looked lost in thought, beautiful…so breathtakingly beautiful. L watches as Yagami-san stands a little closer to his son.

"What do you mean, Light?" Soichiro had to ask. "The M.O is the same and the same sorts of criminals are dying and in the manner that Kira has been killing in. Why would you say it wasn't him?"

_Yes, Light-kun, why would you?_

_Of course_ , thought L, unconsciously putting a finger to his mouth, staring at Light; _I believe that you are Kira and perhaps you are trying to say that you, as Kira, are not in contact with your former college alum and ex-girlfriend? Or perhaps I will have to come up with a different conclusion once you have said your piece—_

"The M.O is very similar, this is true," said Light, his chair turned away from the desk now, addressing the detectives surrounding him and L. "And this…person…has also killed criminals and the like, but…these killings are much more concentrated than Kira's, the Original Kira's, kills."

"This person…perhaps we could call him F-Kira, for False Kira; or Fourth, if that would suit you better, but like I was saying," he continued. "F-Kira is concentrating solely on murderers now, the day before it was all rapists and pedophiles. The time variations and also how he kills them is different than the Original Kira; F-Kira is…overzealous. His actions seem to be motivated by the same ones of the Original Kira, but there are also subtle differences in this as well. He seems more like a zealot; more like a follower than the leader, if that makes sense. He pushes the bounds of what Original Kira had been doing, almost—but not quite like—showing off. Or at least showing to Kira; you all have seen the pictures of the new deaths over the past couple of days."

Indeed they all had. And Light was hitting the nail on the head very well, L thought. Maybe a little too well, but for some reason he thought that he might be able to believe that this was what Light had merely observed and researched, rather than the fact of knowing this...new? Kira…False Kira, Light had called him. The pictures of the bodies of inmates and the like were all very, very gruesome. Some bodies were completely dismembered, or burnt beyond recognition, blood poured around bodies like a pool of water, dead eyes stared out in horror at what they had had to face.

Kira may have been many things, but even he, who had used some of his victims before death, had never taken it this far. This was perverse even beyond what Kira had been doing, quite past it. And perhaps that was what made it make sense to L. It was not Kira's doing, nor did he seem to be apart of it, as it seemed to have disgusted him utterly…from what he gained by watching Light's reactions as of late.

"F-Kira seems to have a streak of sadism; he takes complete and perverse pleasure in the utter torture and destruction of those he kills. Kira…never seemed to act that way; acts I suppose I should say," said Light, slowly. "Because we don't know what has happened to him over this time…" It gave L a jolt of ironic amusement when Light turns to him at this and he knew that they were thinking the same thing; like hell we don't.

Light was rather good at looking past his blank expressions and dulcet tones to see beneath the exterior; it was sometimes scary because Light was so good at it, getting through to him, touching places, seeing things that no one else had ever been allowed to, or been able to see.

"…You really are brilliant, Light-kun," murmured L. He felt a jolt of unexpected pleasure as Light looks at him surprised, and then trying to hide his reaction to L's words. His heart was beating something funny and his stomach was doing twists and turns (and it wasn't from hunger—he had ate only moments before and was not yet hungry for another one of those pieces of blueberry cheesecake).

He supposed that this was what that unknown emotion called love did to people; it felt funny…and slightly tingly, but that might have been from having sat in the same position for so long; that, or how the bashful, yet passionate look in Light's eyes was affecting the lower apart of his anatomy with startling quickness.

They had not been together intimately since that one time, and L felt that needed to change…and soon. Quite soon, as Light in such close proximity, looking like he did was not helping L's…situation…any. But to be so close to someone who you believe, know, is a murderer (or at least was before)…could someone really do that? Either or…intimacy was a matter of trust, something which had never exactly been a strong suit for either of them.

But --and it was a shocking realization--he wanted to trust Light. He wanted to be able to trust Light, trust that Light was no longer playing false and was being genuine with him, something which he did seem to be now…

L Lawliet's trust was ultimately a very, very fragile thing. It was something that had to be created after he had been abandoned as a child and left to fend for himself—or die. It was something that he recognized but could not really change. Only Qullish Wammy had been worthy of his complete trust. There were others he trusted to an extent like Yagami-san, Aiber and Wedy and some others, like the other detectives that he trusted…enough. Light was an entity all of his own making, even if you didn't count Kira.

Because he had thought that Light should be the least deserving of his trust of anyone, as he knew what Kira and Light Yagami were capable of, but somehow along the way, Light had become his closest companion (before they had become lovers and the handcuffs did not equal companionship, only a means of watching what needed to be watched).

He had given Light his cell phone number when no one else was trustworthy enough to have it (other than Watari, of course), he had told the teen that Light was his first ever friend, which was a very, very true statement; L had had classmates of a sort, in Wammy's House, he had colleagues and he had intellectual conversations with some (though not to the extent that he and Light shared), but there had never been someone who he could define under the label of _friend_.

Watari was like a mentor/father figure to L and they shared a lot of things, but friends were not one of them.

He had opened himself up and let Light closer than anyone else had been; had let Light touch his body, had thoroughly enjoyed himself as they touched one another and felt such pleasure (when he couldn't really stand the touch of others).

Somewhere along the lines, he had not only fallen in love with Light, but had also come to trust him. The evidence in front of Lawliet's eyes would not let him come to another conclusion, no matter how much disbelief he was in over its result. If he did not trust Light, then he would never have done any of those things, more importantly, he would never have let Light anywhere near his body intimately, even if he did want him. For he could hold out against celibacy; he had done it quite well in his 25 years, until that first moment with Light, and could do it again.

He trusted Light. And if those fragile strands of trust that Light held between his beautiful hands somehow became broken…then he would make sure that Light Yagami never saw the light of day again—a ironically fitting situation.

But that was as a last resort and one he had to think of, even if he did trust him; it was smart for anyone to think like that as even the most trustworthy people could always turn against you. But with the way Light had been acting as of late…he didn't feel that it would ever happen. A contradiction to his earlier statement, but he wanted to believe that Light wouldn't betray his fragile trust, wouldn't betray him and most of all…he wanted to believe that Light loved him too.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"You're boring," he informed her. He walks around her over and over again, flapping his wings out periodically.

"Stop it, Ryuk-san!" she protested. "That is getting annoying." He just shrugs at her and lets out a long drawn sigh.

"To have come all the way back, for this," he muttered.

"What?"

Sigh. "Nothing, you incompetent twit."

She starts to protest, but he just walks away, heading over to the other side of the room to look out the window. She huffs and lets him be. If he wanted to be that way, that was fine with her. She needed to focus on her plans anyway. She was the Second Kira; she knew this because Rem had told her, but she also had her memories back. After hearing that she was the Second Kira and her Light, her knight who had passed judgment on that evil burglar who had killed her parents, was the First Kira.

And her Light wanted her to kill L, he had said so long ago when they had first met and she knew that she was absolutely in love with him. She hadn't been able to talk to him privately in a long time and that was a problem, but it wasn't like that would help anyways, as he had given up his memories of the Death Note, all part of his big plan to defeat L, she knew, she just didn't know exactly all that entailed.

She had learned small bits and pieces here and there from Rem and Ryuk both, but both Shinigami were surprisingly tight lipped about it, and she hadn't seen Rem in a long time now, even though Higuchi was now dead.

But Higuchi had her Death Note and no longer possessed it, so…did someone else get a hold of it and Rem now had to haunt them?

Although Misa didn't have the Death Note she started out with, she did have the one that came to the human world first, Light's Death Note (it would always be considered his in her mind), the tool which they would use to cleanse the world and Light would be able to rule. And she…she would rule with him.

With the Death Note, almost anything could be accomplished, so long as you knew just how to write it down in just the right way. She had been a little surprised that Ryuk had just—hours earlier—appeared to her, though she had taken the Death Note from its hiding spot on a certain place in the ground, yesterday (after some quick thinking, telling Mogi-san to wait for her a little ways ahead because she had to adjust some underthings, with him blushing and quickly moving out of her sight.)

She stands up from her chair and walks into her kitchen, grabbing an apple out of the bowl on the counter and throwing it to Ryuk who catches it with both hands, grinning stupidly at it for a moment before chomping down on it. As she paces around her kitchen floor, she belatedly wonders if the cameras in her room were still active or not. She rather suspected they weren't as Ryuuzaki seemed to have taken much more of a deeper interest in what her Light was doing rather than what she was doing.

Something seemed odd; she just couldn't quite put her finger on it…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He pants against his mouth, unable to hold back a moan as he gets pushed up harder against the wall. A hand creeps up under his shirt, touching his hot skin. His knees nearly buckle at the firm touch, but another hand keeps him firm against the wall. He bites his lips to hold back a groan when the wandering hand runs further up his chest, a finger running over an oversensitive nipple.

"Ryuuzaki," he groans against the detective's mouth. "You need to s- _stop_!"

L pulls back from the kiss and looks at the picture that Light made; Light with his dark brown eyes burning to an almost amber color, soft skin flushed with color, lips red and bruised from their lips gliding over one another's again and again, himself unable to stop himself from tasting Light.

_Anyone would be unable to resist you right now, Light-kun, and I, perhaps unfortunately, am also included in that group. Men are not supposed to be beautiful, but that is the only thing I can say about you. Mon beau tueur; Light, it's why no one wants to believe you are Kira, because how could someone with a face and mind like yours become a murderer of thousands?_

He doesn't exactly push the thought out of his mind, but he lets it move aside, focusing on more important things right in front of him. He looks at Light with his wide eyes, using his usual oblivious look to mask what he was really feeling.

"But if Light-kun would not be so loud, then it would not be a problem." said L, slightly reprovingly. "You don't want anyone to come barging in here and see what was going on would you?"

"Barging in?" Light said, incredulously. "Ryuuzaki, we're in the middle of the hallway, you have me shoved up against the wall and your hand is under my shirt. There's no _barging in_ about it."

L lets out a small chuckle and Light blinks in surprise.

"You're so funny, Light-kun," said L, amusedly. "But if you are really worried about them _barging in,_ like you said before--" He ignores the ' _You_ were the one who said it!' from Light and removes his hand from beneath Light's shirt, grabbing onto Light's hand and suddenly starts to walk quickly towards the direction of the door down the end of the hallway, ignoring Light's gasp of surprise.

"Oh, so _now_ we're going somewhere private," said Light. "And why are you leading the way again, anyway? You always expect me to follow, follow, follow. Did you automatically expect me to be the bottom?"

L's foot stops its step in front of the door and the detective turns to Light, wide eyes perhaps a little wider than usual. Light looked a bit embarrassed at his sudden outburst and he was flushing. The jingle of the handcuff was loud at the moment of silence between them, L looking directly at Light, while Light seemed unable to look at L directly. L puts a thumb to his mouth, looking up for a moment.

"Hmm...that _does_ seem rather presumptuous of me," said L. "I suppose I shouldn't have assumed, as to assume would be to make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me', or your ass to be more precise."

He glances over at Light, smiling slightly and was amused to see Light torn between amusement and exasperation at him.

"But from our last intimate encounter, the margin for Light-kun wanting a repeat performance and more, would be about 94.3 percent," said L, pushing the door open.

Light shakes his head at him. "You just like to pull those numbers out of your ass, don't you?"

L shrugs, the handcuff jingling slightly. "Which is something you won't be getting from me, at least not now." He pushes Light inside and with a large smile, closes the door behind him without a second glance.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They landed on the bed with a _thump_ , with L going right to the attack, kissing Light hungrily, practically sitting in the teen's lap, taking in Light's moan with a growl of his own, as he grows frustrated when the handcuff chain between them starts to get in the way. He moves off of Light and stands up. He removes a small key from one of his back jeans pockets and unhooks first his handcuff, and then Light's. Light just sits there with a stunned look on his face.

"Ryuuzaki?"

L tosses the handcuffs aside onto the floor and turns back to Light; leaning in, he grabs onto Light's face, standing close and looking directly into Light's eyes. "I did not want them getting in the way. I was wrong; the handcuffs are no longer needed. I have _faith_ in you, Light-kun. Faith that you are not, or no longer, Kira. I trust you, Light-kun. In a way that I have never trusted anyone and I don't want to lose that feeling."

Light takes in a startled breath, eyes wide as he looks at L. He gulps slightly, his heart beating wildly, wondering if this was some sort of test and pushing that thought away. Lawliet was talking about _faith_. Well, Light had faith in a lot of things, and he was coming to realize that L Lawliet was one of those, one the _main_ ones. Lawliet was talking about _trust_. After all that had happened between them, and all that was happening _again_ (as he had come back during the middle of it all), did Light, _could_ Light really trust L Lawliet? The answer felt clear, instead of uncertain; instead of the uneasiness that Light expected at the thought of trust, the answer was yes.

He trusted him.

He loved him, but that wasn't the only reason that he trusted him. He was getting quite good at deciphering the expressions and mannerisms that L Lawliet hid behind; he could see the true feelings beneath them, he could see the true expression in his face. Most of the time anyway, one person couldn't catch everything ALL the time.

He grabs onto L and pulls him as close as they could get without kissing, the detective's breath hot against his already warm skin.

"L-kun," he murmurs. He hears L's gasp of surprise before moving his mouth over his.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He was pleased with her, _very_ pleased with how things were going. It was only a matter of time until they were able to meet with Kira. Surely Kira was pleased with their work; how hard they were working to change the world and do what needed to be done so that all could see that Kira was the new God of the world that was sorely needed.

But he _was_ getting frustrated on not having found Kira right this moment. He was getting impatient; perhaps if he had Takada send a direct message to Kira on the air instead of speaking as Kira's proxy. She was doing a great job, she was getting many more people listening and more of Kira's followers were coming out of the woodwork, ready to stand by their God. But he, Teru Mikami, would show Kira that he was the most faithful of them all and Kira would reward him beyond all others.

With the Death Note, he could help to change the world.

He finishes his thoughts and opens the door he stood in front of. Takada turns around at the sudden noise in surprise, but smiling when she seen who it was stood before her. He smiles in return and closes the door behind him. He removes his coat and sets it neatly on the coat rack near the door. When he reaches her, he grabs onto her and kisses her softly. She was his, at least for now, because if Kira decided he wanted her, then he would of course have her.

"So have you thought about it, Takada?" he asked her as he pulls away from the kiss. "About the possibility of Kira and the Other Kira having met each other? The Other Kira asked Kira to meet, and there is no reason not to believe that they didn't, as no new messages have appeared since the last one. I don't believe that after all the effort that the Other Kira, the Second Kira we can call him, went through to contact Kira that he would just give up so suddenly."

Takada nods. "Yes; I imagine Kira and the Second Kira having met up and working to keep it secret from that bastard L and whoever else is working with him. About tomorrow's broadcast, I think that we need to send Kira a message directly, let him know that we have only been doing justice for him, for the world. Perhaps he will send a message to us, some sort of clue letting us know where he is at, once he sees that we are doing all we can for him and the world."

He kisses her again; pulling back he looks at her fondly. "I was going to suggest something just like that. You really are a brilliant mind, Takada. I could ask for no one better to help me find Kira, and to cleanse the world. So on tomorrow's broadcast; you will speak to Kira directly instead of as we have been doing. And I will write as the new Kira I am, the Fourth Kira. As the greedy bastard Kyosuke Higuchi was the Third Kira, though he is completely undeserving of the title of 'Kira'. We will speak to Kira and hope that he responds just as we want him to..."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Their clothes come off quickly, neither one of them in the mood to take it very slow. The slide of skin against skin as their shirts gets tossed aside; L's gasp as Light's hands, shaking very slightly, touch him, removing his pants in a quick, deft motion. L's hands also shook slightly as he worked on Light's pants, pushing him onto the bed, both of them seeming to notice and feel that this would be a different experience for them both.

L pushes Light onto the pillows, looking down at the teen; for a long moment, all he could do was stare at the utter beauty of Light Yagami. If Lawliet believed in any sort of deity figure, then he would say that it should be a sin to be that beautiful. The most beautiful hid their secrets better than the regular populace.

_You are mon beau tueur, Light-kun and I love you. And because you are mine…_

He leans in and kisses Light hungrily, thrusting his tongue into the younger man's mouth. Light gasps and pulls him closer; L shudders against Light's mouth when his aching erection rubs up against Light's hot stomach. Oh, god. It was out of his control. This feeling, everything was spinning out of control so quickly. Light's hands wrap around L's slim hips, thrusting his tongue into Lawliet's mouth, his own hips thrusting up, both of them crying out as their erections rubbed against each other. Precome dripped steadily down their thighs from their rocking motions, neither of them caring to keep their voices down, if they even remembered that others were in the building that is.

_...I will not allow anyone else to have you. Whether that be Misa or anyone else; including Kira._

They both pull back from the fervent kisses almost simultaneously for air, both of them panting. Lawliet relished the feeling of Light in his arms, so close. Looking into Light's eyes, he saw _Light_ , not Kira. He trusted Light, and because he did, the next thing he does is to move away from Light and grab the small bottle of lotion that stood on Light's side of the room on his nightstand (Every morning, or whenever L got them up, without fail, Light would grab that bottle of strawberry lotion and slather it on, but of course he couldn't fault that now when he had something so close within reach.)

_I will not let that part of you take over any longer._

Light was sitting up, looking at him (and the bottle) with a bit of trepidation in his gaze. L, having made a quick decision, pushes the bottle into Light's hand, who takes it automatically. Lawliet felt his own trepidation, but quickly squashes it, and lies back against the pillows, watching as Light's face takes on a stunned expression.

"L-kun?" he asked quietly. It gives L that jolt again; he had never heard Light ever call him that before today. L was a name which was neutral; it was made that way on purpose, though some said the name, the letter, with distain or anger. No one had ever called him like that before and it made his heart ache, a term which he once would have scoffed at (privately) but now knew what people were talking about. "What--?"

L shakes his head, pulling Light's head down for a kiss, not yet able to say the words which were burning in his heart and on his tongue; I trust you Light-kun, that's why. And I love you. You have single-handedly taken down L and you don't even know it yet. You have done what no one else has ever done before; you have taken down L and in the least thought of way imaginable.

Light pulls back, looking at Lawliet's face, biting his lower lip slightly, and with L fascinated as always with Light, he was unable to look away. "Are you sure, L-kun? What about all that talk in the hallway?"

Lawliet shakes his head. "I know you're nervous, Light-kun. I confess myself to be 35 percent nervous as well, since it is the first time—for me at least, and I believe for you as well. I want you to feel…comfortable, so I am willing to do this for you. I—" The words sounded all sterile and not what he was really wanting to say. He firms up a bit. "But, the next time I will of course be the top; else Light-kun might get ideas about who is the topper and who is the toppee." Light snorts a bit at that, but as his fingers fumble to open up the lotion bottle; their situation seemed to come back full force for both of them.

The room was quiet while Lawliet watched Light coat his fingers with the pink lotion, taking the bottle out of Light's hands and setting it on the nightstand, because although L too had slightly shaky hands (the situation was quite surreal and it was just now really kicking in; this was much different then the last time they had been…intimate.) L lets his eyes travel up to the ceiling as Light parts his legs, moving in between, a finger moving hesitantly into the detective's entrance. The lotions coolness was such an opposite of his hot skin that he lets out a gasp.

Light stills and looks at L with furrowed brows. _I can't believe that this is all an act. I said I trusted you, Light-kun. That means I have to let myself believe in you more than I have._ "Are you alright?" asked Light, worriedly.

L nods, but seeing as that didn't assure Light completely, he pulls his head down and kisses him, moving his hips to allow the strange intrusion in further. It hurt a bit, a throbbing pain that could almost be defined as _not_ being pain; the sting was lessening into something else. "I am fine. You will not break me, Light-kun." _I hope_.

Encouraged by L's reassurance, Light was quick to add a second finger inside, working it quickly so he could add another, but still watching L's face closely, perhaps to make sure that Lawliet wasn't lying about how it felt. For Lawliet, the pain was quickly receding; his body was getting used to the strange intrusion with an amicable grace. He focused on Light's face the entire time, distantly wondering just how he had managed to get into this situation; how Light would come to be with someone like him, seemed like he _wanted_ to be with him.

No one ever wanted L. Everyone forgot that behind the machine L, there was the man Lawliet. And usually he was happy to let them, but when it came to Light…he was… _happy._ Light made him happy; Light made him remember what it was like to be human, and made it feel like that it was _okay._

L was more than ready when Light removes his fingers, panting slightly. As Light positions himself at L's entrance with slightly shaking limbs, the detective grabs onto Light's face, rubbing his thumbs over Light's face, watching the sudden flush, and kisses him, still amazed each time that he could kiss and touch Light where he liked. He moves his hands and Light pulls his head back to look into Lawliet's eyes better.

"L-kun…"

"I trust you, Light-kun." He says. "I truly do."

Light lets out a moan; he grabs onto L's hips, both of them shaking with need.

"Because I love you." He whispers.

Light thrusts home at this and both of them cry out. Droplets fall onto L's chest and he looks up, startled, at Light's face; clear drops were falling from Light's eyes and he was looking at Lawliet with the most open expression on his face that he had ever seen. He moves his hips, not letting Light waver any. The pain was quickly gone, extinguished, and his heart burns as Light moves deeply into him, his hands a brutal touch against his hips, but unable to stop Light even if he wanted to.

_Kira cannot have you anymore. Because you belong to me._

Pleasure starts to spike, pressure building within him, desperate to reach the end. He lets out a startled moan when Light wraps his hand around his erection and starts to stroke it. Light moans and thrusts harder still, his cock throbbing deeply within L.

"I love you too." gasped out Light. "And I want you to know that I truly mean that wholeheartedly; I do! No matter what you might think otherwise, I've never told anyone that I loved them. Not even to get what I wanted; I thought that was much too false and although I could tell them other things to get what I wanted, I could never say that I loved them. But I love you. And I trust you. I won't let the trust you given me go to waste, I swear, L-kun!"

Suddenly L found the same clear tracks had been running down his own face as well. He cries out suddenly; it was all too much to take in and he found himself engulfed in a torrent of pleasure that he could not stop. Seed shoots from his cock in bursts and comes harder when Light suddenly moans and shudders deep inside him, his seed shooting deep inside him.

Moments, minutes, hours, seconds, later, he finally comes down from the pleasure and finds that Light had removed himself from him and was halfway sitting up, looking at L. Both of them were sticky with already drying come and L found that he couldn't feel any better than he was.

"Did we just really have—" murmured Light. "Did I really just…? And did you really just…?"

Light looked so befuddled that Lawliet couldn't help but smile. He pulls Light down so he was lying down next to him and he wraps his arms around Light. So this was what true contentment felt like, he supposed.

"Lots of sex, yes we did, Light-kun." said L. "And we both confessed words of trust and love. But I must say something now that is of utmost importance." He made sure that these words sounded as serious as could be…

Light stiffens slightly in his arms and he could pretty well guess where Light's thoughts were going.

"So it must be said that…" L said solemnly. "That I will be the one to top next time."

Light gapes at him, obviously expecting something else and L smirks.

_It is still fun to mess with you, Light-kun. I doubt that will ever change._

He kisses him.


	12. One Decision Made and Something is Ready to Begin...

" _The true idealist pursues what his heart says is right in a way that his head says will work." - Richard Milhouse Nixon_

_: :: : : :: :  
_

It was nearly time for the program to begin; he was starting to get anxious, ready to see just how Kira would respond once he declared himself openly (or at least to be the Fourth Kira; he couldn't show his actual face as the Fourth Kira because then he could be captured before he could truly help Kira, his savior.) But he could at least put on a cool facade and pretend that he wasn't nervous.

Looking over at Takada, who was sitting in her dressing room chair, nervously re-doing the make-up that her new personal stylist had just finished putting on, he knew that she was nervous too, and she couldn't hold back it as much as he thought that he was.

This message was going to be different than the previous ones and he was slightly afraid of what Kira might think of it; because apparently the messages that had been sent before were perfectly acceptable, but...there was still always the chance that Kira would grow angry over it.

He mentally shakes the thoughts away; he just had to take things as they came. He looks back over at Takada, who stood up out of her chair and looks back at him; he liked Takada a great deal and he enjoyed all they shared together, intimately and of Kira, but he wouldn't hesitate to use her, sacrifice her if that became necessary. He supposed he and Kira were alike in that sense, willing to use anyone and anything to get the necessary result.

They, he and Kira, were doing what they were doing to protect the world; to make it a better place for all who truly deserved it. Those who needed to be punished, were being punished and the crime rate had gone down very significantly in the entire world since Kira first appeared.

When Takada turns away from him, he glances behind him, looking at the Shinigami who was towering behind him, ever present and always waiting...waiting...for what?

_You want to see Misa Amane again, the girl who is the Second Kira, the one who is with Kira right now and who you had me protect from the Yotsuba group. The pictures of her were quite...pretty. If Takada ever fails me, or I grow tired of her and can no longer use her, then perhaps I might just take Amane for myself..._

Showtime.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The world felt different than it had the night previous. It felt...lighter. It seemed like all the sentimental things that he would have once dismissed as nonsense, seemed to be...great, more than actually. He felt so much weight come off of his shoulders; with the decision he had made to himself that he would no longer be Kira (he couldn't be Kira anymore), as well as finally being able to admit to Lawliet, and himself, that he loved the detective and that Lawliet reciprocated those feelings.

They had both lied to each other for a long time, and had done it well, but this had the ring of being genuine, it was that trust issue and L had said that he trusted Light; and Light didn't believe that L could say that as he did, or at all, if it wasn't true. He felt for the first time in a long time...free.

Being in love was...strange. Good, but strange. Perhaps because he had never really believed in love (the in love kind), or maybe it was because he was in love with the oddest (yet most appealing) person that he had ever known. His one and only equal. But it felt good to be able to show affection towards the detective, even if it was just in private between them.

Everything was relying on trust and that was a fragile thing between them, but as he believed that L had put himself out there on the line and gave his fragile trust to Light; and because he did, Light was more than willing to give his own trust in return.

He grabs his coffee from the table in front of him and sips at it. Even the damned coffee tasted better...but perhaps that was because Matsuda had stopped making it; he had made it so undrinkable that even L, who always put obscene amounts of sugar into his coffee, couldn't even drink it. He glances over at L who was typing away at the computer in front of him.

There was still a lot of work to be done, work which still made Light rather uneasy. Because although he wasn't Kira any longer, he used to be and he was afraid that L would take him down hard. They were trusting each other, but he was absolutely terrified of the thought of telling L that he used to be Kira.

His eyes travel down the detective's body slowly, feeling a warm tingle start to spread within him, now knowing just how it felt to be with Lawliet, be inside him, moving in tandem with him. It was amazing, and unlike anything he had ever known, intensified by his own feelings, which mingled with the detective's.

L suddenly turns his head and pierces him with that wide-eyed gaze. Light felt himself flushing hard, but that doesn't stop him from giving L a shy smile. L blinks hard for a moment, looking almost taken aback, but he also smiles in return, a smile that makes Light's heart skip a beat.

But of course such a great moment had to be ruined by...

"Light! Misa missed you so much! She has so much to talk to you about!"

_...Misa._

He sets his coffee mug down and turns just as Misa gives a little squeal and throws herself at him, startling him. He was just getting ready to grab her and pull her away when a noise from his right side garners his attention and he turns his head in disbelief.

Did Lawliet just... _growl_?

L didn't seem to notice that he was being watched by Light, for his eyes were on Misa's, narrowed slightly with what Light could only define as hatred...and jealousy.

He pushes at Misa, but soft enough so it didn't seem to be mean (he really didn't care, but he had a image to maintain in front of the detectives, for there was such a thing as good manners.) and looks at her.

"Misa, you have to be more careful," said Light, reprovingly. "I was just sitting my coffee down; it could have spilled over onto the equipment, equipment which is very expensive and which L--Ryuuzaki has spent a lot of money on." He ignores her little whimper and continues to speak. "And I know that you want to talk to me and all, but I have some very important work to be doing; catching Kira is the number one priority."

Misa's face takes on a slightly desperate look. "But this is very very important, Light! I really, _really_ need to talk to you--" she glances over at L, who was now turned away from them both, nervously. "Ryuuzaki, I-I know that catching Kira is the top priority but could I please speak with Light for just a couple of minutes?"

It was silent for a moment, Light glances over and sees the detectives, except his father (who seemed to be staring _quite_ determinedly at the paper in front of him) and Mogi (who was off in a corner doing the needed paperwork), all staring at them. But when Matsuda seems to notice Light looking back at them, he turns away and the other detectives hurry to do the same.

He then turns to look over at Lawliet who was slowly turning in his chair in Light's direction, head down and not looking at anyone.

"...Of course it is understandable that Light-kun would need to see his...girlfriend...on an occasion." murmured L, his gaze swerving up to Light's and the look in Lawliet's wide eyes, a look that Light believed that he was the only one who could see it, made Light hard-pressed to keep his cool expression and not embrace the detective like he suddenly wanted to do quite badly.

"Just...try not to be long too long, Light-kun; Kira is still out there, needing to be caught." Light promised himself that once he was done talking with Misa, because it really did look important, that he would get himself alone with Lawliet and let him know just where everything really stood, because the detective really did look...forlorn.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He shuts the door behind him; the room that he and Lawliet were sharing was the closest one (as L needed to be able to be as close to the computer station as possible, and he and Light couldn't sleep in those chairs in the 'living area' _all_ the time. He almost felt the faint feeling of handcuffs against him, the feeling reminant of how he had been handcuffed again for a short time, though he was no longer chained to L.

And although the detectives had looked questioningly at the two of them once the detectives entered the area earlier in the morning, no one had yet to comment on the fact that Light was no longer handcuffed, which he was rather glad for, because he didn't want to think of how he could give a plausible explanation, or to sit back while Lawliet said

something in that matter-of-fact manner of his...

He lets out a small sigh and walks over to where Misa was sitting herself gingerly on the edge of the bed; the bed which he and Lawliet had shared intimately only last night, glad of the fact that he could hold in what he was really feeling quite well. And it was also another lucky thing that he had picked up the room and changed the sheets, because she'd smell the sheets and...

He sets himself down in one of the chairs, after he moves it closer to where Misa sat, and looks at her.

"This had better be as important as you say it is, Misa, because the Kira case--" he stops as she removes a black notebook from behind her back, apparently hidden in her clothes; a Death Note. His eyes widen as he looks at it, then her. She had the Death Note, his--what used to be his--Death Note!

"You-you really need to touch this, Light," said Misa, in a rushed voice. "I know it looks strange, but then everything will come back to you and--" So she had her memories of being the Second Kira then; things were happening out of order, but he expected that as many things had changed since he had gotten back to this time. He didn't need to touch it to regain his memories--for he had all of them--but he would be able to see Ryuk again and think of what he could do--

He grabs the Death Note and as expected, no memories come flashing through him, but he _does_ see Ryuk who was standing on the floor next to Misa. He rather expected to feel a flash of emotion--anger, rage, anything, when he saw Ryuk, the Shinigami who had killed him, but...he didn't. Maybe because this Ryuk was not the same Ryuk who had killed him years later, though he definitely had the potential to do it again.

He and Ryuk stare at one another for a moment, and something flashes between them, an understanding almost and he faintly wondered if Ryuk was the Ryuk from this time at all.

Ryuk lets out a few _hyuk's_ from his throat. "Heya, Light." He seemed to be bubbling with laughter.

"Ryuk," he said coolly.

"Is your...plan coming together then? The one to kill L?" Light's eyes widen minutely at this and Ryuk notices. So Light really _was_ crazy over that L Lawliet then, huh? Light meanwhile was standing up out of the chair, and looking at Misa.

"How long have you been holding onto the Death Note, Misa?"

Her eyes light up. "So you _do_ remember everything then, Light! Only for a few days; I've been trying to figure out when I could get up here to get it to you and get it in without them noticing. Luckily Ryuuzaki doesn't seem to be too interested in what I'm doing these days..."

 _I wonder why_ , thought Ryuk with a inward chuckle.

"Yes...well, a lot of stuff has happened with things lately; there is someone out there parading as Kira and is doing things that Kira would never have done." Have done, not never do, for things done under the name of Kira would not be done by him any longer. But she had the Death Note, and if things were anything similar to like before, then she had also taken the Shinigami Eyes again and she had seen L's real name, which meant--

"I know, Light! But I took the eye deal again, from Ryuk; I did it for you! And I've seen L's name; and I can write it down anytime you want me to!" Shit, so he was right. It had been a few years (though he was brought back to a time before much of the stuff he had went through happened) since a time when he wanted L to die and her having the Eyes again and the knowledge of Lawliet's name was a dangerous thing. She said that she wouldn't do anything without his say so, but there had been a few occasions when she had done things on her own and he couldn't have that.

He closes his eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose before opening his eyes to look back at her. "Look, Misa...about that. I think it would be best if you let me hold onto the Death Note right now." She looked surprised. "With everything that is going on right now, it would be best if--"

"But why?" interupted Misa. "I know his name Light! It's--"

"I know what it is, Misa!" Light bit out angrily. He hadn't meant to admit that, but it was out in the open now, with Misa looking completely taken aback. He tries to calm himself down. "I know what is is, alright? I...learned it a short while ago," a lie, but she didn't need to know that. "That's not the top priority right now; this newest Kira impersonator is. I need to be the one holding onto the Death Note." He felt that very strongly, he just didn't know why.

She nods hesitantly. "A-alright, Light. If you think that's best; I just thought..." she trails off, looking away. For one moment he actually considered telling her a few things, like how he was no longer Kira and would no longer do that again, but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He just felt this pressing need to get that off of his chest.

He must have fallen on his head or something without realizing it, if he felt like he wanted to confide in Misa of all people. But he needed to think of what needed to be done; should he ask Misa to relinquish the ownership of the Death Note to him, or should he just hold onto it?

He glances at Ryuk who had remained surprisingly silent as they spoke. If he took control of the notebook, one reason being that it might be good to just have her lose the Eyes altogether, but that might not make her forget L's name. There was a faint possibility that he might need her use of the Eyes later on; not against Lawliet in any way, but just in case Mikami wasn't behind the scenes, pulling Takada's strings like a puppetmaster.

And he didn't exactly want to re-take ownership of the Death Note, afraid that even if he didn't use it, it would start to warp his mind again and _make_ him use it; and there was also the fact of Ryuk, though Ryuk could kill him anytime he chose anyway, if he ever grew 'bored' and all...shit, too much to think about, too little time.

"You haven't taken any extra notes out of the Death Note, have you?" he asked.

She shakes her head. "No. I didn't think to do that and I didn't want to start using the Note again without your say so on who it should be and what time and everything." She was smarter than he gave her credit for sometimes. She had, after all, been the one to find him, Kira, before he could find her, the Second Kira.

He nods in satisfaction. Thankful that he was in a room which he was almost one hundred percent sure that it was not bugged with cameras or wire-tapped in anyway. Though this was _L_ he was talking about, so... "That's a good thing; if extra killings started to happen while these new ones were going on, then L might become suspicious of you--" _Or me,_ he thought. _And I'm not going to let that happen, especially when I am no longer Kira._

"And..." He had been playing with the thought of telling her some of his thoughts and as long as he said the right things (things that _didn't_ involve how he had been intimate with L, more than once now, and things of that nature.)

"Misa, I need to ask you a hypothetical question; as there is the chance that it might eventually come up by some circumstance..." She nods rapidly. "...What would you do if I was no longer Kira? Not like before, I mean, when I lost my memories of being Kira. But, still having them, being fully conscious and aware, but...making the choice to stop being Kira."

Even if he was just posing it to her as a 'hypothetical' question, it still made him feel better to get something like that off his chest. He just still had to be careful for awhile, until he had a better idea of where the Takada/False Kira situation was going and everything.

He hears Ryuk make a noise of surprise, but keeps his eyes turned to Misa's. She looked quite surprised. "If Light didn't want to be Kira anymore?" He nods, glancing at the door now, having taken care to be as quiet as possible with her still being able to hear him, on the off-chance that L had sneaked away (or just up and left without caring about what the detectives thought, which was probably a more probable answer) and was possibly listening to this conversation.

He loved Lawliet and yes, he trusted him, but he would be stupid to think that love would blind someone as intelligent as L Lawliet to where he still wouldn't be suspicious in a situation where his (former?) top suspects of being Kira and the Second Kira, went to talk alone. Because L knew full well that Light hadn't left so he could have privacy to 'make out' with Misa or something inane like that. Although if _L_ asked him to do that sometime, then he just might...

"If Light didn't want to be Kira anymore, than Misa would of course support him!" she exclaimed. He wondered why he felt surprised. "The world needs to be cleaned up and Misa knows that Light knows this as well, but...if Light didn't want to be Kira, then he must be thinking of another way which to help the world!"

Hmm...maybe this wouldn't be _quite_ as bad as he thought it might be. He would have to watch her closely for awhile, but--

"Then I need you to do something for me." he said very seriously. She straightens up slightly, seeming to understand that what he was going to say was quite important. "You have to make a promise to me that you will never, and I mean _never_ , use the Death Note, or a fragment of the Death Note to kill L Lawliet; I've decided after much thought that it would be in my...and your...best interest, if I worked with him rather than try and do him in."

Especially since he had witnessed, and dealt with, first hand what L's successors, Mello and Near, could do together. "With both of us working together, we could work on solving things much more efficiently. I, and you as well Misa, have worked, killed, on a large-scale to solve the world's ill's, but this has also caused a backlash of fear and anger and it is backfiring more than it is helping anything, if you understand me."

She nods again, and he was glad that she accepted most everything he told her very easily, though he did not plan to manipulate her like he did years past, although he would do something of the sort if a situation came down to where the Kira case could be solved for good (without him getting put away, thank you very much!)

"So Light wants to work with Ryuuzaki then? If you think that's best Light; Misa understands. But then should I give up ownership of the Note, then? If I'm not to use it anymore--" She understood things pretty well, which helped him, as he didn't want to have to explain everything in super minute detail (well, some of the time--sometimes he loved to be able to have knowledge that people didn't and hold it above their heads.)

He holds up a hand. "No, keep it for now. I am no longer, Kira. I've given up that title, so that means you've given your title of Second Kira up, right?" He waits for her nod before continuing on. "Neither of us will be Kira, but while this new False Kira is still running out there," and he didn't know who it was either, it could possibly be Mikami, or even Takada, but he wasn't positive. "there might be the occasion where the Death Note might need to be used, possibly for the last time, so I'm going to hold onto it, but there might be an occasion where your Eyes will be needed and it would be rather heartless of me to just have you throw away the Eyes which you gave up half your life, _again_. Especially when they could still be useful--"

He takes a step back, startled, when she suddenly jumps up and embraces him. He hears Ryuk letting out a few hyuk's of laughter again. He didn't feel anything sexual, nothing was happening down there, as she embraced him, although he did feel a sort of, comforting feeling he supposed. He thought it was rather ironically funny that a tight embrace from a beautiful girl who was all pressed up against him, was doing absolutely nothing for his libido, but even just a _look_ from the wide-eyed, crazy haired, enigmatic detective would send his heart racing and get him harder than stone.

Love, mixed with a nice twist of lust, was a crazy and fucked up thing...but he wouldn't have it any differently.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He lets Misa leave the room first, glad to have finally gotten her to let go of him (it was comforting for a few moments, but then it got to be stuffy and uncomfortable for him. He wasn't used to many people embracing him or something of the sort. That was one of the reasons why he felt so surprised on how comforting it felt to be around L, to be _touched_ by L...)

He looks at the Shinigami behind him, who was still rather quiet. "So I suppose you're going to be following me around for part of the time then, Ryuk?" Ryuk nods.

"Yeah...not as much as you might think though...like when you're having an 'alone' moment with L Lawliet," Light's eyes widen and Ryuk lets out a loud gurgling laugh deep in his throat. "Think I haven't seen anything, like I couldn't tell between you two? The rest of the people around you apparently are oblivious, not that I expected anything less out of Matsuda, but I'm not as stupid as you might think I am, Light." Light blinks, his eyes lowering slightly from their position.

"You don't mean just about the detectives." said Light. It wasn't a question.

Ryuk rolls his head a little along his shoulders, contorting it in a way that not even the most flexible human could possibly do. "Maybe. And if that was the case?"

So he was right then? This Ryuk wasn't...

"...Do you know how I got back here, Ryuk? To this time?" he asked, nearly demanding.

Ryuk stops rolling his head and looks at Light seriously, as serious as he could ever remember, except perhaps in the moment that he wrote his name down in his Death Note.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to do it; my Death Note fell out of my hands, and I was punished by the Shinigami King, but...I don't know," he shrugs. "I guess I felt bad about killing you off...or something like that. I would have had to have, so the King told me. You're still probably pissed off about that whole thing," he lets out a little hyuk. "But...it's not like you can kill me and now I ca--"

He gets cut off by a sudden brief knock on the door.

"Light-kun?" said L, through the door and Light found himself walking over to the door, giving a last glance to Ryuk who disappears, perhaps going to hover around Misa for awhile. "Are you coming back out soon? Takada's spot on NHN will be on soon--"

The door was open before either one of them really realized it, by Light's doing, and the look on Light's face must have said it all, for Lawliet lets out a little sound in his throat, grabbing onto Light and pushing him up against the wall and kissing him hungrily. Light lets out a little moan, unable to help himself, feeling the heat on his wrists where L was holding them tightly against the wall, feeling himself harden quickly under the detective's touch. His own hands move to wrap around the detective's thin waist and pull him closer, not giving a fuck if anyone passed by in that moment.

Being with Lawliet was sometimes frightening, because it was easier to lose his self-control, but he couldn't help himself and he wouldn't deny himself the touch of someone who he wanted, someone he loved, and someone who loved _him_. He wouldn't let himself be denied by anyone.

He runs his hands a little under L's shirt, touching the bare skin, feeling Lawliet shudder against his mouth, feeling the man's own erection pushing up against him, wanting nothing more than to take L in this damned hallway, or _be_ taken by L, it didn't fucking matter to him, except the whole 'fucking' part...

He lets out a little moan, panting slightly against L's mouth. "We--we should stop. The--the program is going to start soon and someone might see us." It killed him to say that but things needed to be done...what the hell, they could be done later right?

L stills for a moment, before letting go of Light's hands and moving away from him. His hair looked even more of a disarray than usual, and his pale skin was flushed with color, his lips slightly swollen from their kissing. He looked beautiful, though Light doubted that Lawliet would ever believe him. L nods slowly, his head tilted slightly.

"...Light-kun would be right, although I would much rather do this right now than anything else." He moves his head up to look at Light, and Light wondered just what kind of state he himself was also in. "...But, Kira needs to be caught. Right, Light-kun?"

Light nods. "Right. But I...I wouldn't mind continuing where we left off sometime later though," he felt himself flush slightly and couldn't exactly look L in the eye. No one before L had ever been able to fluster him, and so easily too!

He looks up when L leans in and gives Light a short, but satisfying kiss. "I would like that too. But of course, Light-kun must remember that he will be the bottom next time." Light gives a little smile.

"I look forward to it. To you. Make it worth my while." He felt satisfaction when a pink tint invades the detective's cheeks. It was nice to see that he could fluster Lawliet as easily as L could fluster him.

They start walking back towards the area where the detectives and many large screens were waiting on them. Takada's program was about to begin, and Light had the feeling that something big was going to happen soon because of it.

 


	13. Messages which change it all

_"And differing judgments serve but to declare_

_That truth lies somewhere, if we knew but where."_

_-William Cowper_

"I speak the messages that need to be spoken about." Takada said. The program had just begun and and all of them were glued to the screens once the program had started. Light had his chair close to L's...all the better to see the big screen (of course)...well not really, but no one else needed to know that. L peered at the screen closely, a finger to his lip as he gazed at the screen.

"Now hear this from the newest Kira, one who has done service for Kira in Kira's name..." There were exclamations of surprise, and then a distorted voice comes on the screen, a screen which shows the name Kira in letters that were different than the Second Kira sent and were different than the one that L had them make to send out as the First Kira to try and lure out the Second Kira.

" 'Kira, I have been doing things in your name. I think that I must be doing them right, doing the righteous things that need to be done for you to allow me to be also called Kira. I am ready to take commands from you; please, send a message which can let me know that you are safe and willing to take another follower under your wing like the Second Kira. You have been absolutely right, God; the world is place which is rotten and which needs to be cleansed of all those who are evil and undeserving.

" 'I will continue to take down the evil ones as it seems to be want you are wanting...And to all of the masses listening to this; the messages have been from me; I am the newest Kira and no one is more loyal to Kira's cause than I. The methods that I have been using against those who deserve it, are just; a fitting punishment for those who deserve to die. And I...I give that to them. Those that are good and innocent have nothing to fear from Kira's power. But for the rest of you...enjoy your last moments because soon you will have nothing left but your screams of agony and torment. Goodbye.'"

The screen goes back to Takada and she starts to talk about Kira's will and such. L turns slightly to Light and the detectives. "This is the sign we have been waiting for; this is _not_ the same Kira! He has finally made his move, and now it's time to make _our_ move! Matsuda-san, you and Aizawa-san go and get a video and the recording equipment that we used when we made our own Kira message the last time." They nod and go off. "Yagami-san, you and Mogi-san get a hold of the stations and tell them to get prepared for a message from the real Kira that we have just intercepted." They also nod and hurry off.

He now turns to Light, who was looking at him intently. "It's time for you to write another message, Light-kun and re-introduce people to the real Kira again."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The message had went as he had planned and now he was at his own place, ready for Kira's message, which he was sure would come soon; he believed that if he replied as his own self, the new Kira, that Kira would respond in kind; like he did with the Second Kira.

Though he, Teru Mikami, was much better than the Second Kira in everyway, having done things the Second Kira _never_ did. Surely Kira was pleased with how he was making the evil ones suffer.

All was going as it should...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He thrust a pad of paper and pen at Light and hurries back into his chair, typing away furiously before hitting a switch. It was silent on the other end. Damn, he forgot that Watari had left earlier for some needed items. He shakes his head. It was alright; the detectives were getting everything and Light was writing down another message.

A message to F-Kira, False Kira as Light had called him, from the First Kira.

He turns and sees Light writing furiously onto the pad of paper, his hand sailing across the paper. He hears sudden footsteps and turns around expecting one of the detectives but instead sees Misa. He gives her an annoyed glare and turns back around, continuing his typing and trying to ignore her.

"Light! What's going on? Misa heard footsteps outside her door then sees the detectives running by her! What's going on?" She repeated. He glances over and sees her standing next to Light, hand on his shoulder, and he found that he didn't like that at all. Why wasn't Light shrugging her off or _throwing_ her off, maybe literally? He was about to speak up (just what he was going to say, he wasn't sure, but it was sure to be a rather stinging remark) when he sees Light pull her hand off forcefully, stopping his writing and looking up at her.

"Misa, I'm really, _really_ busy right now; there was just a message on NHN from the False Kira, one we know for _sure_ now is the False one and I need to focus on this." Light said, starting to write again, looking away from her.

This is when L felt he should speak up.

"So that means you should go back to your rooms now, Amane-san, so you don't get in the way."said L. "And go now."

She lets out a little 'uh!', and looked hurt, though L had absolutely no sympathy for her and felt himself smile slightly as she hurried away. When he turns back around, he sees Light seemingly done with writing, looking at him and smiling slightly, shaking his head.

"You're jealous of her! I never thought I'd see the day..."

_I am waiting for the moment when I can speak to you about **everything** , Light-kun. The day that you can tell me all you did as Kira. Be able to talk to me about things like that, like you did with her in our room. If you only knew I heard you...I was curious to hear what you all would say, so I followed you. Better you don't know this yet though, I suppose..._

"Jealous?" He scoffed. "I have never gotten jealous in my _life_ , Light-kun."

Light laughs openly at that. "You're such a bullshitter, L-kun. I could see it on your face! I don't really know _why_ you're jealous of Misa; you know I don't like her like that, I _told_ you." His face softens slightly. "And I love _you_ , not her."

L wondered if it was all right to feel as pleased about that little statement as he did...and decided if it wasn't then he would _make_ it all right.

"And I--" started L, but gets interrupted by the detectives sudden footsteps and turns to look at them.

"Everything's set up, Ryuuzaki!" Matsuda said breathlessly, huffing slightly.

"And we've freed up space with the network stations, whenever your ready, Ryuuzaki." Yagami said.

Lawliet nods. "Good, thank you, Yagami-san." He turns to Light. "Are you finished, Light-kun?" Both his and Light's faces were back to their normal expressions, as if they had never been talking about such things only moments earlier.

Light nods. "It's all finished, Ryuuzaki."

_I think I rather like you calling me L-kun a lot more. But it would look strange if you suddenly called me that in front of everyone else, I know, but...I wonder if I'll ever let you know my **true** name..._

Lawliet stands up out of his chair. "Then let's go and have Kira speak again to the world."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He glides slowly behind them all as they move towards the room with the now set up equipment. He smirks as he sees Light and Lawliet standing as close as they could without causing a raised eyebrow from everyone else. It was always more fun to hang around Light and see what he was doing, then to hang around Misa.

She was so boring, just lying around all the time or doing her nails or something equally as stupid. But he had to see this through to the end, more for his own pleasure than the fact that he had been sent back by the Old Man.

He wondered what Light would say if he knew; what he had been trying to say to him before L Lawliet suddenly interrupted...

He grins and moves on.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Everything was indeed set up perfectly and L turns to the detectives.

"You all go back and keep watch on the monitors; I will stay here with Light-kun and watch from here." L said, gesturing them to leave.

He was glad that they were all being so complacent, even Aizawa-san, and they leave without incident. He turns to Light who was sitting down in the chair that was place in front of the recording devices, one of which would record what was being said, while another would distort his voice and another was being fed into a line which would go to the main computer and send out the message, where it couldn't be traced, to the television stations' main computers which they could then send out to broadcast to t.v.

It all sounded complicated but it was cake to him and Light, figuratively speaking (though some cake sounded rather good right then...) He turns on all the machines as Light gets himself settled and grabs the pad of paper which he had written on so quickly.

Light turns to him and he nods; Light nods and starts to speak;

"Here this False Kira--"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"There is a difference between what I have done and what you are doing. You claim to be completely on Kira's side and doing everything right.You haven't done thing like I would do at all. You have mutilated people without remorse, you have taken pleasure in the maiming and burning of others. You have done terrible things to people; things that I have never done and would never do. I would never have done the things you have. And you say that you have taken care of only those who deserved it, when we know that's not true. I have seen the list of those who have died at your hands and some of them are just a case of in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Like the announcer a short while ago on the Kira program; his only crime was speaking his own mind. Kira killed for the right things; to protect the world from those everyone _knows_ deserves it. You are creating a mindset of fear and doubt now. You are not doing what Kira wanted. Everyone will now be afraid because of you, even those who are innocent and have done nothing wrong will be afraid of saying the wrong thing and dying because of it.

"You are not for Kira and Kira doesn't want you. He denounces you. He will do all he can to see that you are stopped. I only have one more thing to say; _You abominable murderer._ Kira will see your downfall; it's people like you which are the reason this world has become so rotten."

His hand clenches and the pencil in his hand breaks. His eyes widen and his teeth clench hard. He lets out a loud scream, startling the Shinigami behind him. He stands out of his chair, with it clattering to the floor. He stares at the screen which was now turning to an newscaster now; Kira's message had ended.

" _Abominable murderer..._ _ **me?**_ You are not my God at all! You call me an abominable murderer and denounce _**me?!**_ **"** He whips his head around to look at Rem who looks taken aback. "Did you know of this Rem? Have you spoken with Kira?"

Rem shakes her head rapidly. " _No!_ You know that I haven't; I cannot move that far away from you while you hold ownership of the Death Note."

He looked crazed, his hair everywhere and his eyes filled with an overzealousness that nearly disturbed her. "Then tell me where he is Rem!"

She shakes her head again. "You know that I cannot do that."

"Give me _something_! I only want to find _him_ , I would never harm Misa Amane. Tell me!"

She weighed the options; she had figured that Light's plans would have happened by now, but she had heard or seen nothing, until this new broadcast that was. She was worried for Misa because of this new war that had been set between Light, the First Kira and Mikami, who he had called False Kira. And she wanted to see Misa and see her safe; if she gave Mikami enough information, then she could follow Mikami to the headquarters and get Misa out of harm's way.

Everything for Misa.

"I will tell you what the detectives that work with L look like, because that's where Kira is right now...with L."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

With a few clicks, the machines go off and Light lets out a long breath, eyes closed. He looked beautiful, he _always_ looked beautiful, but there was just something different that was making L hard in the pants and warm in the heart. Perhaps it was because of the manner that Light had spoken in; _have done,_ like I _would_ do, and things such as that. He spoke in past tense and he wondered if it was a completely conscious effort on Light's part.

But either way, it told him something; that Kira was no longer apart of Light Yagami's life and he was ready to close the case for good. He had placed his faith in the right person.

He takes a few steps over and stands in front of Light's chair, waiting. Light seemed to feel eyes on him because he opens his and moves his hand off of his forehead. He looks at L with slightly furrowed brows.

"L-kun?"

He leans in and pulls Light up out of the chair (who also gives a little 'whup!'). He grabs onto Light's face and kisses him. Light kisses him back immediately and their arms snake around one another. He gives a little groan against Light's mouth when he felt Light's clothed erection bump up against his own.

He needed to have Light and _soon_!

He blatantly rubs himself up against Light and revels in Light's own moan as he pulls back.

"L-kun." He says breathlessly.

"I love you too, Light-kun."

Light's eyes widen in surprise, face softening and he smiles at him. It made Lawliet's heart skip a beat and he just wanted to take Light right then and there. He takes a kiss, then another and another from Light and he pushes Light up against the wall. He runs a hand under Light's shirt and felt a jolt straight to his cock when Light shudders and lets out a breathy moan. He was just starting to pull the shirt up (and Light didn't seem to mind at all), when they both hear loud footsteps running their way (as well as some shouting) and he pulls back and moves off of Light (trying not to look at how disheveled Light was or his lovely lips or--).

"Damn Matsuda," he grumbles, because he knew that set of footsteps anywhere. "Always interrupting everything important."

Light, meanwhile was straightening his clothes and fixing his hair. He had to do something about his, erm, _situation_ and soon or he might just let L take him on the damned floor with _everyone_ watching and not give a damn.

It was sometimes hell to be eighteen.

And Lawliet was only a few years older than he was and he had the same...problem..as well.

The door flies open and Matsuda was breathing extremely hard and looking at them.

"T-t-th..." He was wheezing a bit. Light walks past and pats Matsuda on the shoulder.

"Take a breath, Matsuda-san." Light said.

He does so and seemed a bit better, though the look in his eyes was still frantic.

"...The chief and Ide-san just left to go and get something to bring back from dinner and their belts just went off!" Light's eyes widen and he hurries out the door, with L following right at his side and Matsuda following behind them as they run.

"Aizawa went to find them and Mogi is watching over the station! It...it would have to be something important if they were going to hit those buttons!" Which he was right on; those belts were for extremely important matters only and Ide and Yagami-san _especially_ knew that it wasn't, which meant something was very wrong.

They couldn't seem to get to the workroom fast enough, but they finally do, with Matsuda flopping into a chair and taking in deep breaths. Mogi looks up from the computer on the very left (as the one in the middle was always used by L and the one on the very right was used by Light) and his face was looking grim; he didn't exactly express as much as everyone else did, but this was a major difference and it just made everything hit home harder.

L had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and hoped he was wrong.

He hoped he was wrong.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Only five minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity. They all jump when a beeping comes onto the screen, alerting them that Aizawa was contacting them. L pushes the button in front of him and Aizawa's voice comes in loud and clear.

"It's...it's me, Aizawa." He said. The black feeling in L's stomach doubles. "I've found Ide and the Chief...they're dead."

 


	14. Death

_"The weak lose their freedom to the strong. Such is the way of the strong. And it is the providence of nature that only the strong survive." –Kuja, Final Fantasy IX_

Waiting for the ambulance and coroner was the hardest thing that he ever had to do. Every inch of him was crying out in pain and rage. He wanted nothing more to run away from there, run away from the lifeless bodies of two of his greatest friends and comrades in arms. He wanted nothing more than to run from there and search for the bastard who did this. It was Kira; it _must_ be! Damn Kira to hell! He would see that Kira got everything that he deserved, if it was the last thing he did!

For Ide and the Chief...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

All he could do for a moment was stare blankly at the screen in front of him; he felt numb. The death of his father hit him hard, harder than it did the first time (though of course the first time he had been infused with the passion of the Death Note which made him into a egomaniac with a God complex). He hadn't expected this, hadn't been prepared...what had happened? Was it a heart attack caused by Kira...or was it...or...or...

"Light-kun! Snap out of it!" He gets grabbed and whirled around to face the detective who was shaking him slightly. His eyes held misery in them. _He must be in pain as much as I am...Ide was a good man and my father really cared for L like another son, even if he didn't say so--_

"Light-kun!"

Something was running down his cheeks, he touches them and feels something wet.

L makes an almost wounded sound in his throat and embraces Light, uncaring of the presence of Mogi and Matsuda in the room (Mogi who was a good man and kept his head turned to give them privacy and Matsuda who was smart enough not to say anything, even while staring). He holds him while tears fall all the while and lets him get it all out. He rubs small circles in Light's back, the only thing he could think to do; he wasn't very familiar with the whole 'comforting' department.

"I'm so sorry, Light-kun." Murmured L.

Light shakes with silent tears and Lawliet lets him. He had just lost a father after all.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He moves away from Lawliet; even in grief, he knew that they had to continue, more so especially now for his father and Ide. He wipes away his tears and looks at the detective who was waiting patiently for him.

"Thank you," he says softly. L nods at him. He speaks up a bit louder now. "We won't know how they died for a little while yet, so we'll have to work with other things, but it definitely seems like Kira has struck again so we'll need to keep an eye out on the stations, especially NHN's, as well as police reports and the like that might come in. We obviously got the False Kira's attention as well as Kira's."

_Yes, both of them are definitely watching things now. Kira is watching out for the False Kira, because he believes that F-Kira is responsible for killing his father, right Light-kun?_

With that statement, Lawliet moves to his seat and Light moves to his. L turns to look at Mogi who had been silent the whole time.

"Mogi-san, if you and Matsuda-san would go to meet Aizawa company it would be appreciated." Mogi nods and stands, and he hears Matsuda get up. "And take Amane-san with you and take her somewhere safer. The deaths of Yagami-san and Ide-san were awfully close and it would be better if she was taken somewhere else."

Well, that wasn't the whole reason he asked that of them, but he wanted Amane elsewhere at the moment; he wanted to keep Light to himself but he also _did_ think that the closeness of Ide and Yagami-san's deaths were not a coincidence.

He keeps on typing at his computer, even over the protests of Misa which die down as she, Mogi and Matsuda walk further away. Matsuda and Mogi's skills could be used elsewhere and Aizawa could use some backup. He keeps on typing until he hears a faint 'I love you' coming from the person next to him.

He turns towards Light who was also typing on the computer in front of him, as well as screen watching.

"I love you too." He murmurs.

Clack clack clack clack...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

This was a disaster! She had to find a way to make this all better. How could Kira send Mikami a message like that? And now she was about to report on the latest deaths of two police officers that had just been killed. She wasn't sure whose work it was, Kira's or Mikami's. She hadn't heard from Mikami since before Kira's broadcast and she was starting to get worried.

The door to her dressing room sudden opens and she whips her head around to see Mikami standing in it. She walks over to him hurridly. "Mikami! I was starting to get worried, are you all right? What is the plan now?" He gives her a smile that makes her stomach flutter slightly in fear but she pushes it aside; she had nothing to fear from Mikami, who had done a service for the world.

"Good luck in your broadcast." He said, still holding that eerie smile.

She wanted to say more to him, but she had to hurry out as her program was about to begin. He continues to stand that way for a long moment before suddenly moving over and turning on the small television set that sat on Takada's primping table. He removes a notebook from his black coat which held the name _Death Note_ on the cover.

"You have failed me Takada; you must have spoken my messages in the wrong way..." He sees Takada on the television screen in front of him, talking on her program and he opens the notebook down and the name Kiyomi Takada starts to get slowly written down.

"Death will be your absolution, Takada. Death for failing me, but I've given you a few minutes left which to enjoy the rest of your life. As for me...I have a God to go kill, him _and_ L...and anyone else who gets in my way."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Kira hear this; I do not think that you have understood all that your newest disciple has done and is continuing to do. He is working on clensing the world like you want it! The world which is rotten is--"

Two sets of eyes peer up at the largest screen simultaniously as she suddenly stops and clutches at her chest. Her eyes widen.

"N-no!" She gasps. There were screams off screen as she collapses onto her desk, unmoving and there was a moment of seeing people hurrying to her side and screaming before the screen goes black.

"She-she's dead," said Light, stunned. "F-Kira just...I mean...F-Kira _or_ Kira, either way she's..."

A beeping sudden sounded, alerting them that someone was entering.

"Good, Watari will be here soon," murmured L, putting a finger to his lip. He turns to Light. "F-Kira is making many more moves now; it is obvious that the message that we sent has sent him over the edge; we will have to think of what can be done now. Maybe another message...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He walks down the sidewalk, seeing the crowd of people that were watching a man sitting next to two fallen bodies. Should he kill...his name was determined to be Shuichi Aizawa...but...no. There would be plenty of time for that later and the man didn't notice him as he passed on by.

He walks for a couple minutes longer when a car passes by that draws his attention; it was driven by a older gentleman that he recognized from Rem's description, and seeing the man's name told him his name; Qullish Wammy. He notices something else as he passes by, a girl. And her name he could see quite easily as well; Misa Amane.

The Second Kira.

The Second Kira who worked with Kira, Kira who had denounced _him_.

He watches Rem as she watches Misa with hungry eyes.

"How far can you move away from me Rem? Enough to see Misa as I continue on?"

Death was a hungry being today...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She was afraid; she had no idea what was going on and she was afraid for her Light. Matsuda and Mogi had just basically planted her at this hotel and told her to stay in her room that they brought her to, saying that she would be safer that way. Well that wasn't good enough! Obviously something was going on and her Light must be in some kind of danger!

She hurries out her room and curses the slowness of the elevator, running out of it and out the main door. She looks around for a moment, trying to figure out which way would lead her back towards the building where her Light must have been waiting for her, when her eyes widen and she lets out a gasp, clutching her chest.

A...heart attack! But, it _couldn't_ be her Light...so it must be...!

She collapses to the ground, unable to hear the sudden screams around her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_No!_

Misa! Misa couldn't! She couldn't be...!

She frantically goes over to her, grimacing at the pain of moving farther away from the holder of the Death Note than she was supposed to; she had broken one of the rules.

She knew of many rules and if there was enough intent, then she could bring Misa back! She could...!

She gasps as her body starts to dissolve away and she hears a voice.

"Ah, ah! And what do you think you are doing my Rem?" The Shinigami King! "I punished Ryuk for bringing Light Yagami back, but you...you broke a specific rule of the Death Note. I am not always so lenient my dear and bringing Amane back will serve no greater purpose I can see, no amusement. Light Yagami was different; he has made everything different and exciting! I cannot allow you to interfere in the final confrontation between Light Yagami, L Lawliet and Teru Mikami; it's going to be so exciting to watch! Goodbye my Shinigami."

She dissolves into sand and rust and who knew what else...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He pulls up the car and does the retina scan and thumbprint that was mandatory for everyone. Finally it was over and the door which would take him inside, opens up and he starts to open the door to his car. He starts to step out when he suddenly clutches at his chest, letting out a wheezy gasp.

No!

Not this!

He had to be there for the young man whom he thought of as a son!

Lawliet!

...Damn you...Kira...

He collapses.

A shadow comes out of a corner, pen and notebook still in hand.

"Thank you Qullish, for leading me to L and Kira."

He grins and walks over the fallen man before heading inside.

 


	15. Auta I lome, Aure entuluva (The Night is passing, day shall come again)

" _A darkness lies behind us; and we have turned our backs on it, and we do not desire to return thither even in thought. Westwards out hearts have been turned, and we believe that there we shall find Light."--Beor the Old, The Children of Turin by J.R.R Tolkien_

It was silent; stillness overtook the floor, the room they sat in and a foreboding feeling passed over the detective once more. There was silence from the other end as well, from the other detectives; the ones that still lived that was. And the young man beside him, the young man who he had come to realize that he loved and cared for, the young man who was Kira no longer, was also deathly silent. But then again Light had just lost his father and there was also the death of Ide who was a loyal and good man filled with a sense of justice that had been extinguished.

He rubs his arms, feeling cold; it seemed to show up so suddenly and it wasn't like him to get cold so easily. It felt like a bad omen, or of something to come which could become grim indeed. He wasn't one to dwell in morbid feelings as much as he was, but he couldn't shake the bad feeling that gripped him before he heard of Yagami-san and Ide-san's deaths and which had only become stronger.

Outside of the building, dark clouds gathered and rain fell down suddenly from the sky, with lightning illuminating the bleak sky, as if the sky itself was pouring down the bad tidings to come.

He had the feeling that much more had happened that he was unaware of, and that hurt almost as much as the deaths of those who he had come to think of comrades; he hated to be so unaware. He liked to see and do things with his own hand, but that wasn't to say that he didn't believe in the possibilities that some scoffed at, but he would rather have it right in front of him so he could figure out just how it worked (one of the reasons why he disliked Kira so much, because he could not figure out Kira's methods and that irked him something terrible.)

He turns to look at Light and opens his mouth to say something, though he was unsure just what he would say when in a split second, all the lights go out and the lightning flashes brightly outside. In the next instant, the lights kick back on and Light was now looking at him; they both stand quickly, looking at each other.

"L-kun--"

"You feel it too, Light-kun?"

Light nods and L felt worse off than better that Light felt it too; something was happening and he could not see where it was coming from. He and Light both jump slightly when his computer screen suddenly beeps; someone was contacting them. He pushes a button and Aizawa's voice comes across clearly, though the man sounded a bit strained.

"The ambulance and--and coroner are here; we're all about to go so they can take...Yagami-san and Ide away, I'm just waiting for Matsuda and Mogi, they're supposed to be here soo--here they are now. "

It was silent for a moment, then another beeping alerts Lawliet and Light to Mogi and Matsuda as well and Matsuda comes on the line.

"We just got here with Aizawa; we just left Misa-Misa at the K Hotel a couple of blocks down and we made sure everything was secu--"

He gets interupted by Aizawa.

"Come on," they heard Aizawa bark shortly. "We've got to go. We'll be back as soon as...everything's straightened out Ryuuzaki."

"That's fine," murmured L, a finger at his mouth. "Try and be careful; Kira may still be close to all of you or could come back."

There were a few murmurs of assent and L was about to turn off the feed when a sudden loud scream from the detectives end made him pause in mid-motion. It was loud and sounded feminine and was getting louder.

"What is it!?" Roared Aizawa.

"Ma'am you're pale, maybe you should sit down--" started Matsuda.

"I just saw her! She's dead! I saw her collapse and my--my boyfriend's a doctor...he checked her pulse! She's dead! Misa-Misa's _dead_!" Sobs sounded now and the feed was cut off.

"Misa's--?" Light sounded stunned. "But they just left, how could she be _dead_?"

"It must be--"

The lights go off again, but this time they don't come back on. The emergency lights come on, illuminating the room only slightly, leaving many shadows in their place.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She looks at Aiber, frowning slightly, wondering if and when L would contact them again. He had sent them off quietly awhile back with no real word of what they needed to do or when to come back, but both were wary of leaving before getting an official word from the world's greatest detective.

The sky outside of their shared hotel room was bleak and it's sudden appearance with rain and lightning didn't forecast anything good, for there had been no word that a storm had been coming; not one single word on any newscast.

"Aiber, I--"

"You feel it too, Wedy? It feels bad; it feels suffocating and bleak."

She was surprised he felt it in just the way it felt to her, but he was right; it felt like Death was watching over them all; waiting.

"Perhaps we should just go back to L's headquarters ourselves. It's been awhile since L has said anything and something doesn't feel right," said Wedy. "I'd rather be chewed out a little by L then to possibly miss something that doesn't need to happen."

"I agree," said Aiber, but he eyes the guns she picks off the table with distaste. "But I'd rather not use one of those, if it's the same to you. Only if it comes to where I absolutely have to."

She shrugs and loads the guns up, picking up her glasses off the table and puts them on. "I hope it doesn't it come to where you have to either, Aiber."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So now they had one more body to take with them, along with the Chief and Ide. She lay there, still and silent and you could almost believe she was sleeping. She looked even smaller lying there like that then she did normally.

There were times when she had annoyed him, but she had been a good person and she had been nice to him and she didn't deserve a death like this; _no one_ deserved this. Kira was becoming erratic and sloppy now; he just hoped that they could use that and finally take down the bastard.

He would see that Kira got what he deserved, even if he had to kill him with his own bare hands.

For Ukita, for Amane, for Ide, for the Chief and for all those who didn't deserve the deaths that they recieved from a madman.

Once Kira was dead and gone, he would let himself shed the tears that gripped his heart and soul.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The small lights that graced the hallway were like a revelation; lights showing him the path to those who had wronged him. To Kira and L both.

And he knew what they looked like (Rem had described them finally, though he was happy now that she too had died, God of Death or not, for she was on the side of Amane and Kira and he would not have _anyone_ live who had denounced him or anyone who was on the side of the one, Kira, who did) and with the Eyes that Rem had provided him, he could see their names and stop them once and for all.

As he comes closer, he could hear soft murmurs and sees a glimpse of white. L or Kira, either one...

Once Kira's death and L's death were over with, then he could begin his ascent and become the God of the world that was so sorely needed.

Death would lead to the ultimate redemption.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A little girl walks by with her mother, clutching her little umbrella. She didn't like storms; she liked to play in the rain, but thunder was loud and it frightened her like the lightning did.

They pass by a building when she frowns in confusion at the sight in front of her on the sidewalk.

What would a pile of dust and dirt be doing here? It seemed strange.

She twirls her pink umbrella; her mother didn't seem to notice. She was just about to say something when she notices something in the middle of it...two notebooks. Maybe they were thrown out diaries or notebooks she could write in!

She was about to grab at them when the wind suddenly blows and she has to hold tight onto her umbrella. The dust and dirt fly away, seeming to disappear and the notebooks turn to dust and fly away with them. She almost thought she seen a glimpse of something skeleton like and she turns to her mother to show her.

"Mommy, look!"

Her mother turns, frowning as she sees how far her daughter had gotten from her.

"What is it?"

The little girl turns back to the sight and there was nothing there.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They were moving quickly, but he suspected that they would not be quick enough. He had taken the gun from Wedy, like he said he would, but he loathed guns and didn't want to have to use them. He much prefered the sophisticated ways of doing things; guns didn't breed sophistication, it blew them away.

They race down the rainy highway on motorcycles, ones which were highly priced and he imagined that the couple that owned them would be very pissed off once they learned that they were gone.

He wondered, as the lightning flashed suddenly in the sky and the thunder roars, if they were racing towards Death itself.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He stayed back, knowing that Mikami had just entered the building, but he was unable to tell Light and L even if he wanted to; it was forbidden for Shinigami to give out the locations of holders of the Death Note, human ones anyway.

He knew Misa was dead; he had felt it as he sat watching Light and L, wondering if anything else was going to happen; the deaths of Light's father and Ide just seemed to be the tip of the iceberg and he almost writhed in anticipation of what might happen next.

The final confrontation was nearing, moments away and he knew a secret that all of them didn't; one which would tilt the favor in one of the three men's--Light, Mikami and L's--hands.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They come to a sudden halt when they notice the detectives about to head into a waiting ambulance, carrying the bodies of Ide, Chief Yagami and Misa Amane inside! She gets off her motorcycle, with Aiber right behind her doing the same thing.

"What happened?" She cried against the sound of the ever pouring rain.

She had never seen so many people look so bleak before; their expressions made her want to cry.

"Kira happened."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They were there! But he couldn't see their faces yet, the shadows covered them deeply still. If they would just _turn around--!_ But, no...better yet, he would reveal himself and gain their attention. After all, he had a weapon which they did not; the Death Note. And even if they did, he knew that Kira did not possess the Eyes.

"I've been waiting for this moment--"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They both turn around almost simultaniously and there stood the man whom had been causing so many deaths as of late, the man who Kira had publically denounced, the man who had killed Takada, Misa, Ide and Light's father and so many others; Teru Mikami.

He smiled a chilling smile.

"--for the moment when I could show myself to Kira, ready to serve at his side and do what he wanted. But then he denounced _me_ and ruined everything." He looks at L and he could see his name clearly; L Lawliet, such a strange name fitting a strange man who would die soon, soon, but at the right moment only. "You must know that he is Kira, L!"

L's eyes widen and Mikami's smile furthers even more. He turns to look at Kira, his once God and Savior, a mere boy named Light Yagami, the one who had the power to change the world and gives it up for this _man,_ this _nothing_ L Lawliet. Fool of a man named Light Yagami!

"Have you not told your lover how you have killed? For I have heard many tales of your deeds, Kira...no...Light, I have heard many from Rem. I can see this name rings a bell, I don't know whether or not you would be happy to hear that she is dead, but she is. Fitting how I can even make a God of Death fall at my feet."

"A Shinigami?" Said L, stunned. Light stood immobilized as well and the look that he could not hide from L confirms everything he already knew, but now had confirmation of; Light was Kira.

 _Was_.

He focuses his attention on Mikami who held a notebook and pen in his hands.

"You killed Chief Yagami and Ide-san." Stated L, tonelessly.

Mikami grins wider. "Quite. They were trying to capture me, what else would I have done? They stumbled on me as I used my killing tool, one that Light used as well." His expression hardens. "You dared to call me _False_ Kira when I have done things that you have never dreamed!"

"You're crazy," cried Light. "And a monster. Kira never did the atrocious acts you did, _never_! I should never have picked up the Death Note, but I never killed anyone like you did!" He couldn't take back his words, but that wasn't what was important now.

"I forgot to mention, Qullish Wammy," said Mikami, gleefully. "Lying dead and broken just outside of the building. He was useful in getting me in here and I can thank him for that, and I did...with his death."

L lets out a harsh cry at this and as a flash of lightning flashes past the window, the immobilization that had held L and Light part seems to lift and L runs after Mikami. Mikami runs off the way he came and Light runs after them.

"L! L-kun! Come back!" He couldn't let them get away! Nothing but getting to L before Mikami could harm him crosses his mind and the sounds of stomping feet was the only sound other than their harsh breathing and the sounds of the storm outside.

If anything happened to Lawliet then he would never be able to forgive himself, or live with it.

Lawliet was everything.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

L spots Mikami running into one of the spare rooms and hurries on to catch him, ignoring Light's cries, feeling blood pounding in his ears and his body screamed for vengeance.

He reaches the room in time, with Light right behind him, to see Mikami looking down at something in the notebook, a Death Note?, and who looks up at him in triumph, even as L pushes him to the floor and knocks the notebook out of his hands.

"Light Yagami is finished L! I am the true Kira and the _False_ one will die right in front of your eyes! Savour these last few seconds!"

He whips his head around to see Light by him, eyes wide and completely pale.

"He wrote in the Death Note," whispered Light, almost mouthing the words. "I'm going to die."

L's eyes widen and he hurries to grab the Note, the insane laughter of Mikami echoing strangely in his ears. The Note was still open and he could see the name Light Yagami staring down at him; a Notebook of Death? This small little thing could not kill Light!

"I'm going to die," Light repeated. L stares bleakly at the Note while Mikami continues to laugh from his position on the floor, wiping at a trickle of blood at his mouth from where he fell, and Lawliet misses the soft, "Again," that Light whispers.

He found his hands grabbing the page and ripping it out of the Notebook and into little pieces.

"It won't do any good, L!" Exclaimed Mikami, starting to stand up. "He is going to--" He stops and L looks up to see Mikami staring at Light in horror.

"Y-You're supposed to die right now! Now!" Said Mikami, turning pale and staring at Light with wide eyes. "You're dead! Die! _Die damn you!_ "

He lunges at Light who had started to move towards L and L reacts, kicking out at Mikami and Light punches him hard at the same time causing Mikami to fall into a cabinet and fall, with the cabinet falling onto him, locking him into place.

L stands and lets out a harsh breath, looking at Light.

"Are you all right, Light-kun?"

Light lets out a shaky breath. "I--I think so, but...I--I shouldn't be alive, L-kun, he's right; _the human whose name is written in this Note shall die_." It sounded well memorized.

"What are you?" Gritted out Mikami, struggling against the cabinet ineffectually. "You must not be human! You _monster_ , worse than Shinigami. _Why didn't you die?!_ "

L starts to pick up the Death Note but Light suddenly speaks.

"No, don't."

L turns to look at Light and Light pulls out the Death Note hidden on his person, looking at it. Light stares down at it for a moment before looking at Lawliet, L stares directly at him, his expression unreadable.

"You said you trusted me, Lawliet." said Light softly.

L's eyes widen as Light speaks his true name, one which he had never spoken to him.

"And you said that you loved me. Do you remember what I told you after, Lawliet?" L nods at him, while Mikami looks confused and afraid.

\--'I love you too. And I want you to know that I truly mean that wholeheartedly. No matter what you might think otherwise, I've never told anyone I've been with before that I loved them. Not even to get what I wanted; I thought that was much too false and although I could tell them other things to get what I wanted, I could never say that I loved them. But I love you. And I trust you. I won't let the trust you given me go to waste.'--

Light looks at L, removing a pen from his pocket, opening up the Death Note. "And I won't." He looks at Mikami. "Kira is no more. The justice you are doing will not help anything in the end. Killing on a large scale as you have been doing...as _I_ had been doing...will not help anybody in the end. The world would be in fear, not happiness. You can't do something like that and not expect consequences. Everyone would start to be afraid, wondering when they would be killed. The Death Note seduces you after you use it. You can use it once or twice and get away without it getting its grip on you, but after that...it warps your true desires, your will, your mind. I...I only wanted to help people; it took my desire to serve Justice and warped it into a desire to have all, to judge all and only save those who _I_ thought fit.But you Mikami...you massacred and you desecrated people..."

His gaze turns down now. "But I gave Kira up once I came back here. I thought I had been given a second chance and nothing bad would happen anymore," He laughs mirthlessly. "But I've _done something now_ and I _do_ want to help people...the right way this time. What _I_ feel is right. But...you _were_ right all along, weren't you, Lawliet? I was Kira, but I've cast that name off of myself. The time of Kira is over Teru Mikami; I've done what I can to redeem myself. The only thing I can think of now is to stop you; Kira will end here."

He moves his hand to start to write, Mikami's eyes widening, but L jumps up. "No, Light-kun!"

He grabs the Death Note and pen that Mikami had dropped in the struggle. "I told you that you could be redeemed, and you can. You have no need to redeem yourself; _I_ am your redeemer." He ignores the faint 'Lawliet' from Light and writes in Mikami's name in the Death Note, ignoring Mikami's sudden scream of horror.

All it takes is a ordinary looking notebook, a pen, and 40 seconds to kill a crazed mass-murderer.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

L looks down at the Death Note. "Such a tool, something that should not be in this world. Given by Gods of Death..."He looks up a little startled as Light comes to stand in front of him.

Light grabs onto L and kisses him, the Death Notes and pens fall from both Light and Lawliet's hands. He pulls away, his forehead against L's. "I love you." he whispers. "You were right about me all along, even if I am not that person any longer...you-you can do whatever you want with me now, you know the truth."

L shakes his head. "I am your redeemer and you have been redeemed. What you said before is correct; the time of Kira is over. And..." he smiles a little. "I love you too."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was only after they moved the cabinet off of the now dead Mikami, with Light gathering the Death Note and pens, and the main lights coming on just as they come back in the building after leaving to retrieve Watari's body and cover his and Mikami's bodies with sheets, that Light notices Ryuk standing in the corner of the workroom.

He was grinning from ear to ear and stared at Light. L was over on the phone, talking to the detectives and then Aiber and Wedy and telling them to come back as soon as they could for it was of the utmost importance.

"Why the long face, Light?" Hyuked Ryuk. L suddenly drops the phone loudly back into place and turns to stare at Light and...at Ryuk? ...Apparently L touched part of the Death Note Light was now technically owner of when he had moved over to him.

"A Shinigami..." L walks over closer. "So they _are_ real."

Ryuk lets out a chuckle. "Nice to see you too, L Lawliet."

Light looks at L whose eyes were wider than usual at that, but who was still standing with a finger at his mouth and staring at Ryuk in facination.

"Shinigami can see people's names and lifespan's over their heads," said Light quietly. L glances at him. "People who gain ownership of a Death Note can as well if they ask for the Eyes, at the price of half of your remaining lifespan; Mikami must have done it and...Misa did before. You were right about her too."

L looks at him thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to Ryuk.

"What do I call you, Shinigami? Why are you here?" Asked L.

"Ryuk. I have to watch over the person who holds my extra Death Note." said Ryuk.

 _You mean the one that is actually Sidoh's_ thought Light.

"And why would I want to miss out on all the fun?" He grins.

"Do you know why Light-kun didn't also die when Mikami wrote his name down?"

Light looks at Ryuk; he hadn't thought of that.

Ryuk scratches his ear. "Maybe. Maybe I was going to tell Light something much earlier when a knock interrupted me, who knows?" He stops looking so serious for the brief moment he does and grins again. "I was going to tell you earlier, Light, that you couldn't die from a Death Note anymore because of..." He shrugs.

L looks between the Shinigami and Light interestedly, but Ryuk doesn't elaborate (which surprises the hell out of Light) and Light doesn't either.

"He could have written your name a hundred different times, in whatever he could find, pen, blood, whatever, but it would never have worked." Continued Ryuk. "Which I got to say, I'm actually glad for--you and Lawliet provide me with endless sorts of amusement. The Shinigami Realm is so damned _boring_ \--"

Light looks on in surreal amazement when L strikes up a conversation with Ryuk and they talk about the Shinigami realm and which apples tasted better than others.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

To say that the detectives and Aiber and Wedy were shocked, was to say the least. Poor Matsuda fainted at the sight of Ryuk who was busy chomping on an apple. Once Matsuda comes to, L turns to them all.

"Yes, this is a Shinigami; his name is Ryuk...he was attached to Mikami for a time." Light tried not to look too surprised at this, Ryuk just looked on amused as always. "He has told me that he has no intension to do any of us any harm and I believe him. As to Teru Mikami...with his death, the Kira case has become closed. In his twisted mindset he suffered from obvious multiple personality syndrome and was a sociopath, he thought of himself as the First Kira and another part of his personality was unaware of this and became the _Second_ Kira. He was...unfortunate enough to have stumbled across Ide-san and Yagami-san, overhearing things which led him to kill them. And he came across Watari which allowed him access into this building. But he did not succeed and the Death _Notes_ that he brought will no longer be used by him or anyone else to kill another human being."

Lawliet was setting everything on Mikami's shoulders; he was making Mikami the one and only Kira who had done all of these things!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He looks at the Shinigami who had once killed him, but who had also felt regret about it and inadvertently brought him back and in doing so, gave him a chance for a life he never knew that he could have, and a person who he could not love anymore if he tried.

L burns the notebook that Mikami uses while they watched and Light hands the notebook that Ryuk originally brought to the human world which started everything, back to him.

"You better get this back to Sidoh where it belongs." Whispered Light.

Ryuk laughs. "Damn, but I'm going to get bored again."

"You could always take some apples back to your realm, if the ones you Shinigami have are truly so terrible you could perhaps trade them to your King for another Note." Said L suddenly, looking up from the ashes of the other Note.

"But of course you would not kill anyone around us," said L, sternly. He quickly loses the expression though. "Then again, perhaps I could gain a better knowledge of how Shinigami work--"

Ryuk flies off, laughter in the air as he disappears.

L turns to Light.

"About what I talked to you before Light-kun..."

"After we had sex you mean?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_An hour before_

He lies there shivering, trying not to moan too loud as Lawliet's mouth moves all over his body, setting it aflame. He cannot hold back a groan as L's mouth moves over a nipple and laps at it like it was the sweetest treat.

"Lawliet-kun," he gasps.

Hearing the name on Light's lips just made Lawliet work on his body harder, rubbing up against Light, their erections rubbing briefly against one another.

He had taken his time with undressing Light, but he was starting to feel impatience creep within him and he moves from Light's nipple and kisses Light hungrily, wrapping one hand around Light's weeping erection.

Light lets out a cry and arches into his touch. He strokes him a few times, before moving from Light's mouth and sitting back slightly. Light shivers when he grabs the lotion on the nightstand and coats his fingers liberally with it.

"Try and relax, Light-kun."

He pushes Light's legs apart and looks up at Light. Trust and nervousness darted within the younger one's eyes and he nods. He works a finger inside of him; it felt a bit strange. He waits (mostly) patiently for Light to adjust enough to it, moving it in and out of him before adding a second finger as well.

Light gasps slightly and rocks against him when he adds a third finger, telling Lawliet that Light was ready. He removes his fingers carefully, careful not to cause any discomfort to him and positions his cock at Light's entrance, looking at him once more.

"I love you, Light-kun." He murmured.

"I love you too, Lawliet-kun."

He enters with a hard thrust and has to bite his lip from groaning aloud as Light's heat engulfs him. Was this what it had felt like for Light? It was _incredible!_ He waits as long as he could to let Light adjust to the intrusion before grabbing onto Light's hips and thrusting again; from Light's groan, he seemed to like it just fine.

A rhythm was quickly set up, for neither felt as though they could last too long. The pressure was building and building and ready to let go. He grasps Light's cock and strokes it as well as he could with his mind going faint with the building pleasure.

His orgasm catches him off-guard and he lets out a hoarse shout and comes deep inside Light's body, his seed shooting deep inside as Light lets out a cry of his own and his come shoots out onto L's hand and their stomachs.

They lay there for a long moment, after L remembers to move out of Light and lays heavily on top of him. When they finally regain their senses back and could breath normally again, L sits up a little and looks at Light seriously.

"About what comes now Light." He said seriously. "The Kira case is over and you have your whole life ahead of you, so--"

Suddenly a voice interrupts him from the other side of their door.

"Can I come back in yet?" Ryuk complained.

They look at each other and laugh.

_End flashback_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He sat in his usual spot and Light in his. It was a day after the Mikami incident and Watari and Mikami's bodies had been since carried off by Aiber and Wedy who were to take Watari to the coroner and go out somewhere in the middle of nowhere and burn Mikami's body.

L gets off the phone with the funeral director who he was planning the funeral's of Yagami-san, Amane, Ide, and Watari. He missed them all, but especially Yagami-san who always had a kind word for him even if he didn't always agree with his methods, and Watari who was the closest thing Lawliet could call a father.

Light was holding up remarkably well.

They learned a couple of hours earlier that Aizawa had been promoted to Chief of the NPA and Matsuda and Mogi were staying in the NPA as well. They had also informed Light's mother and sister of Yagami-san's death. The funeral would be in a week's time.

He turns slightly as he hears the detectives coming back into the building. Although the Kira case was over, he didn't see any reason not to work with them on something else, should something interesting come up(though he doubted a case as interesting as the Kira one would ever come up again) and he didn't mind them using the headquarters for their own cases as long as it was just them three. He had sent Aiber and Wedy back to wherever they were going to go, since the case was over with.

"Are you sure that you do not want to join the NPA, Light-kun? You're father would be proud and you could do lots of things--" He didn't want Light to do that at all, but he felt that maybe a little selflessness would sound good on his part...especially because he was going to be around no matter the case.

"I want to stay with you and solve things this way; I would never get the same kind of cases that you do otherwise and you and I work really well together, and you know how I feel." Light grins. "Are you trying to get rid of me already? I'm hurt, L-kun."

L blinks at him and Aizawa and Mogi both cough and look away, blushes on their faces while Matsuda stares at L and Light with an incredulous look on his face, mouth open and eyes wide, blurting out, "But I thought you liked girls, Light!" Aizawa and Mogi both put a hand over their faces simultaneously.

"Maybe Light-kun never really liked girls because he likes to be the girl in the relationship." muses L, a finger on his lower lip.

Light's face suffuses with crimson. "L!" he yelps.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He grins at them, waving around a notebook in his hands before tossing it to Light who catches it and looks down at it for a moment before shaking his head in amusement.

"I see the apples idea worked," L pointed out.

Ryuk grins. "Yeah. Well, the old man liked them and he said he felt content enough from watching you two sometimes; you all know how to give us Shinigami endless amounts of amusement."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Are you sure about this?"

He nods. "Yes. You said we'll be back in time for the funeral. I trust you."

"Good." They walk further inside, with a silent (for once) Shinigami gliding behind them, taking in all the sights; he was like a small child getting introduced into everything.

"Kind of redundant to ask when we already travelled by plane to England and about to meet the Wammy's House children."

"Hmm...perhaps you are right. Oh well." He shrugs.

Light snorts eloquently, shaking his head. They come to stand in front of the door which L opens; a group of children stared at them. In the very back of the room, three of them stood out; one was lying on the floor playing with some toys, wearing white pajamas and had pale hair to match. Another was a redhead with goggles, a striped shirt and white vest with a handheld game in his hand. The other wore black leather and had the weirdest haircut for a boy.

Light turns to L. "Why do I let you talk me into this kind of stuff?"

L puts a thumb to his mouth, looking up before turning back to Light.

"Because you love me? I love you."

The expression and tone of L's voice makes Light laugh.

"That I do, that I do." Said Light amusedly.

And as they walk inside, Light felt for the first time, free and happy, completely in charge of his own destiny and his own life.

A new chapter was beginning...

_The End_

 


End file.
